The Girl From The City That Never Sleeps
by AlegraBauman
Summary: Lydia Dixon is the sister of Mark's old flame, world famous surgeon Julia Dixon. What happens when she moves to Seattle, wins the hearts of all of SGH and her demons from NYC follow her out west! Some Calzona throughout too as we love them :
1. Chapter 1

As she leaned over the desk of the nurse's station after what felt like the longest shift in her life Meredith began to run through the happenings of the month, or rather the lack of happenings. 'It's been far too quiet' she thought worriedly 'it's never been this quiet, me and Derek are fine- great even, no one's cheated on anyone, no one's been shot or admitted for any kind of injury who I love and know...something must be about to happen-'

"Thinking about me?" Mark asked with a wink as he approached the nurse's station.

"Ha, no, just considering the high probability that something awful is going to happen, it's been far too quiet lately" Meredith stretched her back as she spoke.

With a long baffled pause Mark looked at her with a raised eyebrow "you realise just how screwed up you are? Why can't you just accept things are chilled out?"

Meredith shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "Anyway I have to go"

"Mm go spread your joy elsewhere" Mark replied with a laugh to which Meredith offered a playful scowl.

As she walked down the corridor she noticed a fairly young woman glancing up at the signs. Her hair was a dark colour, almost back though holding a slight red to it and her skin a clear flawless pale.

"Are you okay?" Meredith asked curiously as she watched the girl continue to examine the signs.

Turning to face her, the girl offered Meredith a soft smile, which notably expressed warmth that couldn't be denied. "I imagine you can, I'm looking for Dr Sloan" she replied, her voice light though full of life and holding a slight New York twang to it.

"Oh he's just down the corridor, I'm Meredith Grey" Meredith replied, a smile forming on her face matching that of the girl before hers.

"Excellent, Lydia Dixon- call me Dixie, I'm the new Chief Resident in the ER" Lydia held her hand out for Meredith to shake.

"Nice to meet you, I'll be seeing you around then" Meredith replied as she shook the girl's hand and smiled.

"I'm sure you will" Dixie offered Meredith a warm smile before continuing down the corridor. As she walked away Meredith continued to glance back at Dixie until she reached the nurse's station, a smile still on her face.

"Dr Sloan" Lydia said with a sure smile as she approached nurse's bay.

Mark turned on his heel and looked to her with a bewildered though happy smile. "What the!" he exclaimed before running to her and lifting her into his arms.

"Put me down asshole!" she yelled with a laugh.

"Never heard that one have you Sloan" Callie laughed as she walked past looking curiously on the interaction.

"Hey Callie, this is Lydia" Mark laughed placing Dixie back on the ground.

"Nice to meet you" Lydia greeted her with a warm smile.

Callie couldn't help smiling with her "nice to meet you too, I'm Callie"

"What are you doing here?" Mark asked standing next to Callie, a big smile on his face.

"I'm chief resident at the E.R." Dixie replied with a bright smile.

"Chief?" Mark repeated astounded.

"Don't look so surprised jackass" Lydia gasped with a scowl, though it returned to her usual smile quickly. "Listen I better get back downstairs, what time are you off?"

"Eight, drinks?"

"Cool, I'll meet you at the entrance at eight, don't be late or I'll find someone else to go with" Lydia added as she began to walk away.

"Okay" Mark called after her "it's great to see you"

"Great to see you too Marky boy" she replied turning with a smile as she continued down the corridor.

Callie glanced to Mark "Marky boy?"

Mark looked back to her and smiled "she's an old friend"

"Old? She looks about 12" Callie replied with a raised eyebrow.

"She's twenty six, I went to school with her sister, Julia Dixon" Mark added with a nod.

"That's Julia Dixon's sister?" she asked slightly shocked.

"Yep! Just as bright and brilliant too by the looks of it" he replied admirably.

Callie rolled her eyes and walked away as he continued looking down the corridor where she had been.


	2. Chapter 2

"Maybe it's 'cause I can't sleep?" she replied with a charming flash of her eyes and a secretive smile as her hand circled the rim of her glass.

"You expect me to believe that?" Mark replied with an equally charming expression.

"I like the rain" she sighed unconvincingly.

"You hate the rain" Mark retorted taking a sip of his brandy.

"Not true" Lydia sighed.

"Why are you here?" he asked, turning and facing her, expression longing for the true answer.

Sighing again Lydia straightened herself and placed her hands flat against the bar "needed a change"

"You aren't gonna tell me are you" Mark laughed. She turns her head to him and shakes her head. "Well whatever your reason, I'm glad you're here"

"I'll drink to that" Lydia laughed to which they clanked their glasses together.

"Mark" Derek said with a smile, followed by Meredith as they approached the bar. Lydia turned with a smile. Suddenly Derek's eyes opened wide and he embraced the girl before him "Lydia? Oh my word! Look at you"

"Don't feed her ego! She's on a strict diet" Mark joked.

"Ignore him he's an asshole, look at you Dr Shep! Hold on" Lydia looked to Meredith "I met you today, Meredith Grey right? Are you dating Derek!"

"We're married" Derek laughed.

"You got married?" Lydia explained.

"Yeah!" Derek laughed again.

"Oh" Lydia feigned a disappointed expression "guess I'll just have to rope in Sloan here" she pulled her tongue out slightly jokingly. "Are you having a drink with us? Come on let's get a booth!"

Derek looked Meredith who nodded happily.

...

"No no no the funniest was when me and Derek here were playing um, I dunno and we walked in to one of the spare rooms and you and my sister were literally hanging from the rails! Like what is that position AT all?" Lydia laughed to which Derek placed his hand across his mouth trying to control his laughter and Meredith wiped a tear away from her eyes as she laughed.

"Yeah well you know, I am a very very talented man" Mark replied with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Correction! Boy, you aren't a man yet" Lydia laughed.

"What is this, you keep saying it?" Meredith slurred merrily.

"He didn't face his fear, we decided you get to be a man or get to be a woman when you face your fear and Marky wouldn't face his fear so he's still a boy!" Lydia ruffled his hair to which he grabbed his arm around her neck playfully.

"What was your fear?" Meredith asked amused.

"Yeah Marky boy what was your fear?" Lydia repeated, still in his grip.

"Commitment!" Derek answered as he remembered the night. "You had to look after a rabbit for a month and you wouldn't you were too scared you'd kill it!"

"Awwwwww" Meredith said playfully.

"What so hawd abwout looking awfter a wabbit!" Lydia laughed.

Meredith lay against Derek as she laughed hysterically and Lydia gave Mark's cheeks a little squeeze kissing them after and wrapping her arm around his with a cheeky smile.

...

"I like her" Meredith sighed as she and Christina sat on one of the beds at their corridor.

"I'd like her more if she brought her sister with her" Christina moaned impatiently.

"Hmm well I can't see that happening, she kind of seemed a little less impressed with her sister"

"Less impressed? Is she insane, Julie Dixon is like the best surgeon in the US, NO the western hemisphere right now! To work with her would be...would be..." Christina began to drift into thought.

"You're drooling" Meredith said softly with a roll of her eyes. Lexi entered the corridor wearing a warm smile. "Take it you just met Dixie then huh?"

"Yeah how'd you know?" she replied sitting next to Meredith.

"Got that smile on your face, that's the Dixie smile, and she spreads it...like the plague but...nice and warm and good...I think I have a girl crush" Meredith sighed thoughtfully, to which Lexi and Christina gave her a worried look.

"And on that note I have charts to finish" Lexi laughed before jumping of the gurney and walking off.

"I thought I was your girl crush" Christina moaned with a slight frown.

"No you're better, you're my person" Meredith gave her a nudge and smile before joining Christina in a slight fit of laughter.


	3. Chapter 3

"So you survived your first month at Seattle Grace then!" Callie laughed with a roll of her eyes.

"Hells yeah, and I kicked ass too- give it another month or so I think I'm going to become an attending yesur!" Lydia laughed.

"Wouldn't surprise me if you did, I heard what you did with that patient in the motorcycle accident...some pretty amazing work" Meredith added with a slightly drunken nod.

"Mm you must take after your sister" Christina said, attempting to open conversation around her sister and forcing Meredith to roll her eyes.

"Yano every time we go out my sister somehow comes up! Chances of her following me out here to Seattle equal nil hence my current Seattle residence, finito" Lydia drunkenly explained raising her hands at the end.

"I think I met your sister once" Arizona slurred.

"Oh yeah?" Lydia replied with a soft smile.

"Mhmm out in the er city, she kinda tall, shortish blonde hair?"

"Yeah, sounds like her" Lydia sighed before sitting back slightly.

"She was nice to me" Arizona added merrily. Callie laughed and rubbed her shoulder to which Arizona gave a loving yet drunken smile.

"You've turned my wife into an alcoholic" Callie chuckled "a month you've been here and we've spent every weekend in this bar!"

Lydia laughed, almost like a naughty child before straightening up with a proud smile "Lydia Dixon, providing AA meetings with people since...whatever year I was born in"

...

"Heyy you coming back to my place?" Meredith slurred as she Christina and Lydia staggered down the sidewalk.

"Uh noo.. thank you though" Lydia replied with a kind and warm smile.

"She's going to Mark's place" Christina half snorted, half laughed.

"Do I sense a booty call?" Meredith giggled.

"I ain't no booty call girlfriend" Lydia replied with a raised eyebrow "but if a girl can catch herself some fine tail, a girl's gonna be running round with the biggest net she can find, n'am sayin'?"

...

"Knock knock" Lydia slurred as she slipped through Mark's door.

"Again?" Mark sighed to which Lydia cast him a proud smile "I mean it's not that I don't mind, but I would like to be invited out to the initial drinking event"

"Girls-night-out" Lydia explained as she lay along Mark's couch.

"I can be one of the girls" Mark replied shrugging his shoulders and sitting on the opposite couch.

"I don't have any doubt that you could" she replied with a semi-triumphant smile.

"I spoke to your sister tonight" Mark sighed.

"Oh jeez did you get your phone exorcised after?" Lydia chuckled.

"Didn't know you were married" he replied looking slightly hurt.

Lydia glanced to him, a split second left her face looking hurt and sad though she quickly replaced it with a slightly warm smile "separated."

"Dylan?" Mark asked quietly. Lydia nodded. "Is that why your here? Running away?"

"It's not like that" Lydia said with a frown "it's easier this way, plus I missed you" she turned to him and offered him a sincere smile which he returned.

"You know if he's giving you crap I'll kick his ass" Mark added seriously.

"Whatevs" Lydia rolled her eyes.

"I will" Mark said sitting forward.

"Well he's not so hang up the gloves Tyson" she sighed, eyes closing slightly.

"Go to sleep, we'll talk tomorrow" Mark crosses over to her and places a gentle kiss against her forehead before draping a blanket over her.


	4. Chapter 4

Curled up on a bench in the waiting area Lydia let out a long groan. Amused, Meredith sat down next to her.

"I'm fairly certain it's not okay for residents to sleep in the waiting area" she laughed softly.

"I'm fairly certain someone hit me with a brick last night..." Lydia mumbled back. "What time is it?"

"Five" Meredith sighed.

"Urgh, crap...I'm on till three"

"Three?"

"Mmm two of my nurses are off sick, flu...got to cover some of their scut work, registry alllll backed up" she sighed in response before sitting up and rubbing at her face.

"You stay at Mark's last night?" Meredith asked handing her a coffee.

"Oh thank you, uh yeah I did...asshole left me on the couch" Lydia muttered.

"Ouch" Meredith replied as she recalled the size of his couch.

"Oh yeah" Lydia sighed. "Did you and Yang get home okay?"

"Mm Derek wasn't pleased when we woke him up though" Meredith laughed.

Looking over to her Lydia offered her a warm smile "I like you and him, I mean I remember when he was with Addison it seemed so right but that's nothing compared to what you and he have...really"

Turning to her Meredith matched her smile "thanks Lydia"

"You're welcome, thank you for the coffee...I should probably go check on my interns huh?" Lydia asked her with a disappointed smile.

"Yeah you better, you've been here since about half two" Meredith laughed.

"Oh" Lydia replied slightly shocked. "Okay" she stood up slowly with a pained expression "I can do this"

"You can do this" Meredith encouraged her with an amused smile.

"I'm doing this" Lydia continued as she walked through the waiting room.

"You certainly are! Go get 'em Dixie, you can do it" Meredith said jokingly, tapping her shoulder as she turned in the other direction.

"Laters Grey!" Lydia called with a slow wave behind her.

"Laters Dixie!" Meredith called back.

...

"Dr Dixon?" a young female intern called as Lydia walked by.

"Ah Holly" Dixie replied, turning and smiling to the girl.

"Um, I think I just broke this guy's rib" Holly announced semi-frantically.

"You think?" Dixie asked following her to the exam room.

"Well he was in cardiac arrest, and I was doing compressions and I heard a crack, he's stable now...just thought you better check it out" Holly replied worriedly.

They came to a stop at the patient's bed. "Mr Anderson, you've had quite the going over haven't you, I'm Dr Dixon, I'm just going to listen to your chest okay" the man nodded wearily. Lydia listened carefully to each side of his chest. "Sounds okay sir, we'll have you fixed up in no time" she offered him a warm smile which he returned and began to walk away followed closely by Holly. As they entered the corridor Lydia stopped and turned to face her "it's common in elderly people to have their ribs break during compressions, it's just one of them things, there's no pneumothorax so I think you've just knocked the rib" Dixie explained calmly, though Holly's expression remained slightly horrified "It's okay Holly, he's okay, we all do it" Dixie gave her shoulder a reassuring touch before continuing down the corridor while Holly let out a sigh of relief.

"DIXIE! GSW TO THE CHEST COMING IN" a nurse called to her.

"When?" Dixie half yelled, half sighed.

"NOW!" the nurse called back before hurrying off.

"Shit! HOLLY YOU'RE WITH ME! GET DANIEL AND MEGAN IN THE TRAUMA ROOM _NOW_ TELL THEM GSW TO THE CHEST" Holly nodded at Dixie's orders as Dixie followed the nurse.

"MY CHEST MY CHEST!" the man screamed as the EMTs wheeled him through.

"Okay sir we'll get you fixed up in no time, Darla get onto surgery, we need resps down here now too this man's lung has been completely taken apart. Sir did you bang your head when you fell"

"I don't think so" he said quietly as the fear grew.

They pulled the gurney into the trauma room and swapped him onto a new bed, Holly, Daniel and Megan already waiting.

"Megan run it" Dixie ordered stepping back from the trauma.

"What?" Megan asked slightly shocked.

"Surgery's been paged and so have resps, he just needs to be stabilised" Dixie explained calmly "go go go" she added with an encouraging nod.

"Okay" Megan said with a sudden courage. She listened to each chest and pressed on one side. "We got a tension pneumo on the right, get me a chest tube tray..." Lydia watched with a slight smile as she watched the interns and residents run the trauma, a sense of pride running through her as she watched their assertiveness and attentiveness throughout.

"Somebody call for a consult?" Sloan asked with a triumphant smile as he stepped into the room.

"GSW to the chest, tension pneumo on the right, he's stable" Megan explained in one breath before Dixie could even open her mouth. Dixie turned and offered her an impressed smile and a nod.

"Alrighty then let's take him up! Hello sir my names Dr Sloan, I'm gonna be operating on you" Mark said calmly as they began to wheel him out. Lydia watched him through almost loving eyes with a warm smile as they wheeled him down the corridor.

"Am I going to die?" the man asked scared.

"Not in my hands" Sloan replied smiling before glancing to Lydia and offering her a wink which she shook her head at slightly though couldn't control the smile the formed on her face.

"Megan's going to come with you, good job Dr" Dixie said to her before turning off and entering an exam room.

"Thanks Dr Dixon" Megan replied softly.

"What have we got here?" Lydia asked Holly who was stood by a patient's bed.

"This is Alison Deanway, fell down the stairs this morning, complaining of headache no surface wounds though slight bruising of right shoulder"

"Have we done a head CT yet?" Lydia asked with a look concern.

"Yep, nothing showed up" Holly replied with a sigh.

"Are you feeling any dizziness or feeling of nausea Ms Deanway" Lydia asked stepping to the other side of the lady's bed.

"Um a little dizzy I guess, I felt sickly before but not so much now. Please call me Alison" she replied with a smile.

"Okay Alison we're gonna get you fixed up" Lydia replied with a warm smile "is your neck hurting at all? I take it you landed on your shoulder"

"It's a little stiff yeah, I had a shooting pain up it too" Alison replied, an expression of discomfort on her face.

"We checked it out, there was nothing on the X-Ray" Holly said softly.

"Mm very often when you fall like that you can jolt your neck, it's probably from muscular stress" Lydia said thoughtfully. "Can I just check your eyes?"

"Sure" Alison replied.

Lydia shone the torch carefully into each eye. "Okay, I'm going to send you for another CT, it's probably nothing but it's always safer to double check with these kinds of accidents" Lydia smiled softly to Alison who smiled back before glancing to Holly indicating her to follow her. They walked across the corridor and into the lounge "was there no bruising at all when you checked her over?"

"There were a couple of old bruises on her back and on her arm, she owns a farm with her husband she told me she often had bangs and scrapes" Holly replied curiously "you think domestic violence?"

"I dunno" Lydia shrugged her shoulders with a sad expression "her injuries aren't consistent with her story, I could see the bruise on her shoulder...the pain in her neck and head could be from being shaken violently...did you do a tox screen when she came in?"

"No should I have" Holly asked worriedly.

"No no, it's just a hunch... get a full-"

"Lydia the woman in exam 3's crashing!" a nurse shouted from the corridor.

She and Holly ran through the corridor and back to the exam room.

"Alison? Alison?" Lydia called as she stood by her side. "Why is she cyanotic? We were in here like two minutes ago. Where's the crash cart?"

"What happened?" Holly asked.

"I don't know" Lydia replied quietly as she focused. "Charge it to 300, how have her sats dropped so low?...Clear...360...clear"

"I got a pulse!"

"Sinus rythm, Alison can you hear me? Come on sweetie can you open your eyes?" Lydia asked softly. She opened her eyes and shone the light in them "pupils responsive" she muttered to herself. She listened carefully to her chest.

"SATs are dropping!" a nurse called.

"She can't breathe" Lydia announced.

"Something obstructing her airway?" Holly asked worriedly.

"No, she's in respiratory arrest I need to intubate, in fact Holly come here" Holly looked at her with wide and fearful eyes. "Come on you can do it, we're running out of time" Holly stood at the top of the bed "now careful of the teeth...visualise the chords...think about it Holly...y-yeah yeah you got it...bag her...okay now listen to the chest" Holly moved around and placed the stethoscope in different places on her chest.

"Good breath sounds" Holly replied slightly stunned. She looked up to Lydia who was smiling slightly "good breath sounds" she repeated with a smile.

"Good work Holly, now go find out why she's deteriorating by the hour" Lydia tapped Holly on the back before leaving the exam room again with a smile. She rubbed at her neck and proceeded to the lounge before collapsing on the couch.

"Dixie...Dixie...DIXIE!" a nurse called by her head.

"What? What I'm awake" Lydia sat up and rubbed her face "how long I been down?"

"An hour, Alison Deanway just woke up" the nurse called.

"Oh" Lydia stood up rubbing her neck and walking back to the exam room "where's young Holly?"

"Chasing up results I think" the nurse replied "want me to page her?"

"Would you mind? Thanks Cathy" Lydia entered the exam room and crossed over to Alison. "Hey Alison, don't try to talk we had to put a tube through your mouth to help you breathe, blink once if you understand" Alison blinked "I see in your medical history you've got a history of respiratory failure?" Alison blinked "okay well very often in recovering patients they can have a weakened defence against certain substances um...have you taken anything today? Anything unusual...or been near anything you could have aspirated?" Alison thought for a moment "can you remember" she didn't blink "okay well we're doing tests now and we should be able to find out what's going on, okay" Alison blinked "um I have another thing I'd like to talk to you about" Lydia drew the curtains around them "your injuries aren't quite consistent with what you've told us...is it possible that you may be sustained the injuries in another way...it would help us greatly in treating you if you could tell us" Alison closed her eyes as a small tear fell down her cheek, she opened them again "Alison..." Lydia's eyes filled with sadness as she asked the next question "did your husband do this?" For a moment she didn't move before blinking "okay" Lydia closed her eyes. She took Alison's hand and held it gently "it's going to be okay, okay? We're going to get this fixed" Lydia smiled to her and Alison blinked. "I'll be back shortly" Lydia smiled lightly and caringly before standing. She walked out of the exam room and closed her eyes placing her hand on her forehead. She didn't know where she was walking to she simply carrying on until she found herself outside.

Falling against a wall and she let her legs out straight in front of her as she placed her head back against the wall. Sighing she rubbed at her eyes, wiping away a tear. "Pull it together" she hissed at herself.

"Are you alright?" Lexi asked as she sat sipping her water.

Jumping slightly Dixie looked up to her "tough shift" she offered an unconvincing smile before returning quickly outside.

"Hey" Mark smiled to her as he approached from upstairs.

"I'm late, I'll see you later" Dixie replied evasively wiping away another tear.

"Woah woah, what's this" Mark asked pulling her arm so she was stood in front of him "why are you crying? You never cry"

"Everyone cries, I'm having a tough shift is all" Lydia shrugged her shoulders.

"Well just, take a breath" Mark replied with a concerned frown. Lydia nodded and bit at her lip. "Are you gonna be okay?" he asked seriously.

She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed before opening them and nodding "um how was the gunshot guy from before?"

Mark looked at her for a moment before replying "how do you think? He was my patient right!" he smiled.

Lydia rolled her eyes "thanks for calming me down Marky boy, I gotta go for real though!"

"Okay, take it easy yeah?" Mark insisted.

"Yeah yeah" Lydia smiled to him.

"Drinks tonight?" he asked hopefully as they began to part ways.

"Working" Lydia replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

"I'll pay you a visit" Mark assured with a wink.

"Looking forward to it sweet cheeks!" Lydia winked back.

Mark walked along for a minute before turning and watching Lydia walk away with a worried expression. 'I know those tears' he thought.


	5. Chapter 5

With a sigh Mark shut the door of his car. Reluctantly he pulled out his phone and with another sigh he clicked through the phonebook before landing on the contact he wanted. Smiling he pressed dial. The phone rang out a few times before a woman answered.

"Hello?" she answered, her tone professional and light.

"Hey Julia, it's Mark" Mark replied smiling as he spoke.

"Mark Sloan?" her voice slightly quieter.

"Yeah, uhh..." his voice trailed off as a slight nervousness kicked in.

"What is it Mark? Is everything okay? I'm kind of in the middle of something"

"It's uh, yeah" he coughed and shook his head, straightening his train of thought "I caught Lydia today"

"Oh yeah how's she doing out in Seattle?" she asked, though she sounded almost disinterested.

"Well she seems to be doing fine but when I saw her today she kind of seemed in a state, she was er crying" he explained softly.

"Are you sure?" Julia asked quite shocked.

"Yep..." Mark replied quietly.

"I mean...I don't know, do you want me to talk to her or..." Julia asked sounding almost uncomfortable.

"Just thought you'd like to know...I mean she hasn't really said why she moved back, I'm just wondering if there isn't something going on... do you know why she left?"

"She had a fall, sometime after that she told me she was moving out west s'all I know, listen Mark I have to go...I'll give her a call later and see how she is, thanks for calling...hope your okay, bye"

"Bye" Mark almost huffed.

As he hit the end call button he clenched his phone in his fist and placed his hand against the wheel of his car. Allowing himself a moment to calm down he placed his head on the wheel before stepping out the car and heading back into the hospital.

...

The rest of the day seemed to fly by at Seattle Grace. It wasn't long before a fatigued Lydia glanced up and saw she only had two hours left of her shift. Alison Deanway had long since been provided a bed upstairs and she couldn't quite place the countless patients she had encountered since then. She seemed like a lifetime ago.

"I'm never doing a shift like this again" Lydia mumbled to herself as she scribbled tiredly on a chart at the nurse's station.

"Of course you are" Mark said with a laugh as he came to a stop behind her.

"Heyy what are you doing here?" Lydia asked with a warmed smile.

"Had a stack of post-op charts to file and scribe and whatever else, I'm still not done" Mark sighed. "How's the rest of your shift been? You're off soon right?"

"Mm two hours, and my shift has gone swimmingly since I received an interesting call from my sister" she offered him a playful smile, which he replied with a guilty side pout.

"Sorry" he said with a hopeful smile.

"It's fine, at least you cared enough to endure what I imagine was an extremely uncomfortable phone call"

"Extremely uncomfortable indeed" Mark laughed.

"Mmm" Lydia smiled before looking back down to the chart "it's all gone kinda slow, I guess a Tuesday night, or early Wednesday morning isn't going to turn up the more exciting cases"

"How many patients you got?" Mark asked looking over at her charts.

"Five, four of which I have interns and residents doing all the scutt for and the other is sleeping off a heavy drinking session" she sighed with boredom.

"Sounds interesting"

"Mm, back in NYC I would have dealt with at least three gang shootings already, stabbings and so on...of course I'm glad no ones been hurt...I am bored though" Lydia gave him a smile.

"You're terrible, I bet your secretly praying for some big trauma to come in" he laughed in response.

"No I'm not, fuck you" she slapped his arm and turned to her chart again.

"Fuck you too!" he retaliated flicking her shoulder.

"That hurt gimp suit" Lydia mumbled.

"Sensitive" he muttered with a smile.

"Lady man" she sighed as she continued reading over her charts.

"Hooker" he sighed back.

"Too far" she laughed throwing her pen at him.

"Don't waste pens! Little gremlins in this place seem to always take off with mine" Mark said with a smile handing her her pen back.

"Thanks for the tip" she smiled.

"What happened when you fell?" Mark asked suddenly. Taken aback by his question Lydia's eyes shot wide open and her expression dropped. Instantly he regretted asking the question, look of horror in her eyes was enough to make his heart sink, and he hated nothing more than being left open in that way. But he couldn't help himself "what?" She was motionless. Her eyes fixated in horror as her mind ran through the events he had reminded her of.

"You have to leave" she croaked.

"What?" he whispered frowning.

"Leave! Now!" Lydia muttered, though her tone was angry and almost bitter. Her eyes avoided his as she gathered her charts and began to walk away.

"Talk to me" he pleaded.

"After my shift, Sloan" she sighed as she headed off to the lounge.

Mark rubbed his hair. All he wanted to do was drink, go out, find a girl and bed her. But he couldn't, he knew he couldn't. This was Lydia, and Lydia was different. He could care for her; he could give everything up for her...she had no expectations. She accepted who he was. And most importantly she cared about him, and he knew it in a way that he has never felt before.


	6. Chapter 6

Wearily Lydia wandered through one of the wards upstairs. She came to a stop outside one of the rooms and gazed through to the bed and the lady lay unconscious in it. With a sigh Lydia stepped through into the room. The lady's eyes suddenly opened.

"Hey Alison" Lydia whispered to her with a warm smile, though her eyes were filled with tiredness.

"Dr Dixon" Alison croaked quietly.

"I see they took the tube out your throat, that's good..." Lydia said quietly, glancing over Alison's chart.

"My throat's sore" she replied softly.

"It will be, do you want some water?" Alison nodded, Lydia crossed over and placed some water in a glass before handing it to Alison. Alison took a few sips before handing it back.

"How did you know?" Alison asked quietly, eyes looking deep into Lydia's who were attempting to avoid hers.

"A hunch" Lydia sighed before meeting Alison's gaze. Alison continued to look into Lydia's eyes, not believing her explanation. Lydia shifted nervously. "I..." she began before sighing again "my ex husband he..." she couldn't bring herself to speak.

"You were married" Alison asked quite shocked.

"Very young" Lydia replied shortly though her voice remained soft. She moved around the bed and took a seat next to the bed "I was eighteen...we'd been seeing each other since we were fourteen and just thought hey why not" Lydia laughed slightly "he was...I was in med school, I'd done my pre-med course so I went straight into the thick of things yano...anyway he found erm...company with a group of people who found shooting up to be a great pass time...I was never there so...anyway he got violent- psychotic...I did my best to deal with him but..." Lydia's eyes filled with tears " I was was just a kid erm...anyway we never properly separated until last year...he took it too far so..." Lydia looked away.

"I'm sorry" Alison replied softly after a few moments.

"Mm, walking away was the best thing I ever did though" Lydia added with a smile. "I have my life back, and it's so good" finally her eyes met Alison's again, she offered the lady a warm smile with sincere eyes "you'll find the strength to walk away one day, to live life for yourself. You will" all Alison could manage was to nod as a tear fell down her cheek, and a hopeful smile formed upon her face.

"So this is where you got to" Mark said softly, stepping into the room. Though his voice sounded thick, and held sadness to it.

"How long have you been there?" Lydia asked him attempting anger but showing only sadness.

Mark shrugged his shoulders.

"I'll be back in a minute" Lydia whispered to Alison before standing up and leading Mark outside.

...

"How did you find me?" Lydia asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"Didn't realise you were hiding..." Mark replied, expression serious. Lydia glanced to the side "does Julia know?"

"What do you think? Me and him getting married was the cherry on the cake, she barely speaks to me" Lydia sighed.

"She told me about the fall, she must have some idea" Mark insisted.

"Even if she did, what makes you think she'd care" Lydia snapped making Mark step back slightly. Lydia sighed. "Sorry. I moved here for a fresh start, so I'd rather not discuss it okay? I saw a shrink in the city so it's all off my chest- I'm fine. I promise"

Watching her for a moment Mark examined every piece of her face, it was filled with determination and strength but he knew deep down she wasn't fine, he knew that whatever happened still haunted her and he couldn't fix that, it wasn't going to be okay and he wasn't going to be okay with it. But right now she need him to believe her, and he knew it, and with everything he had he managed a nod and a slightly smile.

"Okay" he said "as long as your okay, I'm okay" he added offering a cheeky smile. She smiled back to him and patted his arm.

"I'll see you tomorrow okay, I think Alison needs some company for tonight" Lydia smiled to him and he nodded.

"See you tomorrow" he replied quietly before walking off down the corridor rubbing his head.

...

Mark sat in his car, phone pressed against his ear.

"Mark do you know what time it is? Christ its four o'clock in Seattle why are you calling me at this time?" Julia snapped.

"It's Lydia" Mark said quietly.

"Has something happened?" Julia's tone was controlled, as though she didn't want to express to much worry in her tone.

"No- I mean...I don't know" he replied quietly, his tone dry and expression lost.

"Mark...why are you calling?" Julia asked impatiently.

"I'm worried about Lydia" he replied slightly annoyed.

"What for? She's a big girl" Julia replied dismissively.

"Would it hurt for you to care just a little?" he snapped harshly.

The line was silent for a couple of moments.

"What do you want me to do Mark? I'm in New York, she doesn't want to talk to me"

"Only because you don't want to talk to her"

"That's not true and it's not fair" Julia snapped though her voice remained soft.

"I overheard her today, having a conversation with a patient about being...about domestic violence, she told me that Dylan he..." Mark cut off. There was no sound made on the other end of the phone for a couple of moments. "Jules are you still there?"

"Yeah" she managed, her voice thick. "This isn't a conversation for over the phone, nor this early in the morning...I'll speak to you later"

"You aren't concerned?" Mark asked slightly annoyed.

"Of course I am" Julia sighed back.

"You had no idea?" he asked anger growing.

"Well...I'll speak to you tomorrow okay, bye" Julia ended the call.

"URGH" Mark yelled before slamming his phone down on the passenger seat. He placed his head against the steering wheel for a couple of minutes. "Get it together Mark" he whispered to himself "get it together"

**Thanks for reading will update ASAP : )**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey this is just a short update as trying to work on next chapter which is a big piece of the story so hold on and I'll have the next instalment to you in no time at all and it's sure to be juicy! Thanks for reading!**

"Are you awake?" Mark grunted down the phone.

"I am now" Derek whispered impatiently.

"Good, we gotta talk" Mark replied in a monotone voice as he rocked on his feet, the half a bottle of whisky he had since gulped down finally taking it's toll.

"Three more hours too long to wait? It's sooo very nearly time for my alarm to go off" Derek sighed.

"No. Outside" Mark slurred back before ending the call.

"Wh-" Derek went to protest but as the phone fell silent he sighed and lowered his arm. He glanced over to a deeply sleeping Meredith before releasing another sigh.

...

"Are you coming in?" Derek asked sarcastically as he opened the door upon seeing a semi-conscious Mark lay along his porch.

"No I'm fine here, take a seat" Mark slurred gazing at the porch ceiling

"What is it" Derek sighed to him as he took a seat on the step.

"Lydia" Mark slurred.

"Oh god, I told you! Stay away from all of that, besides you've known her since she was a kid it's just wrong" Derek replied casting him shocked look.

"No! Shut up! Listen" Mark grunted in response.

"Nice" Derek muttered under his breath.

"Lydiaaaaa, is in trouble" Mark replied sarcastically, waving his arms overdramatically.

"Trouble?" Derek replied less than convinced.

"Trouble. That ex husband of hers is a reaaaaal asshole 'kay?" Mark said sitting up, pleading his case with a growingly impatient Derek.

"Asshole, right" Derek repeated sarcastically.

"Domestically violently wise" Mark added with a narrow eyes.

Derek looked around to him "what?"

"You heard" Mark sighed before laying back down.

"What we gonna do?" Derek asked his voice quiet and filled with silence.

...

The next day Lydia sat on a couch in front of Derek and Mark who were sat on slightly higher chairs.

"Why do I feel like I'm in trouble?" Lydia asked sarcastically. Mark and Derek looked at each other "or are you to finally getting together and you want me to be your surrogate, ew no that's sick if that's why we're here then no no, no way and Derek how could you do this to Meredith I like-"

"You know why you're here" Mark interrupted un-amused. The playful smile that had formed began to fade and reduce to a smaller and calm smile.

She cleared her throat lightly and looked at her hands before looking at them both "what's in the past is in the past, let's just leave it like that"

"You don't want to at least talk about it?" Derek asked disbelieving.

"I have a shrink for that, and can I just say she is more than worth her hourly rate" she replied playfully though holding a sincere smile. "I actually do have a shrink" she added as she saw their sceptical looks.

"Yeah but we're your friends, your family" Mark argued, slightly agitated at her ability to avoid the subject.

"Okay I know" Lydia sighed, impatience growing within her. "I love that I have you as my little support group" she continued with a loving smile "I really appreciate your caring...you have to understand that I have established my own way of dealing with it and it works out juuuust fine" Mark looked down to his hands with a grunt. She cast him a knowing look "now on the other hand if you want to talk to me, or you don't know how to deal with it that's your problem, you need to find a way to sort it out...I have no problem listening to your thoughts" she looked to Derek who gave her a supportive nod before watching Mark out the corner of his eyes.

"I could smash his face in" Mark muttered "can't see how anyone could hurt you"

"He's a drug addict, not saying he isn't responsible for his actions but that's definitely where the violence stems from" she replied automatically.

"He's a prick" Mark retorted.

"He's my past. I married him, we split" Lydia snapped though barely raising her voice. Mark looked up and met her gaze "the past is the past, life is about learning" she added softly with the roll of her eyes before offering a calm and collected smile.

Mark looked to Derek for support who in turn shook his head at Mark and smiled to Lydia, offering her a supportive nod.

"Am I dismissed" she asked looking at them both with sarcasm and raised eyebrows. "I love you guys!" she exclaimed when they simply smiled at her. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around them both at the neck pulling them into a tight group hug.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for the reviews : )**

Lydia smiled as she wandered aimlessly through the corridors of Seattle Grace. It had been a few weeks since 'the talk' with Derek and Mark and since then things had been nice, simple. Her interns had made great progress and she was confident enough to let them run their own traumas when possible, and most importantly on the previous day she had been promoted to attending. 'ATTENDING' she kept thinking over and over in her mind, an exstatic expression forming on her face. Finally she came to a stop at the corridor with the gurneys where she found Lexi and Meredith sat with tired expressions.

"Why are you smiling so big?" Meredith asked feigning annoyance.

"This is the attending smile" Lydia smiled wider.

"Attending smile can bite my ass" Lexi sighed, finished her sentence with a slight yawn.

"Long shift?" Lydia asked slightly amused and sliding in between the pair.

"Yes" Meredith sighed letting her head collapse against Lydia's shoulder.

"Too long" Lexi yawned following her actions.

"Aw... when are you off" Lydia asked excitedly.

"Now" Meredith grunted.

"Five minutes" Lexi replied slowly.

"Wanna go out for drinks?" Lydia chirped.

"Stop, you're making me feel sick" Meredith muttered, eyes fluttering shut as her head rested on Lydia's shoulder.

"You guys suck, I've been on since 6'clock Tuesday morning" Lydia exclaimed before jumping up, making Lexi and Meredith fall into each other.

"Ouch" they muttered together though remained huddled up resting in each other, eyes drooping.

"You know Bailey will kick your ass if she finds you using this corridor as a hostel" Lydia warned, hands on hips watching the women drift off to sleep.

"Worth it" Lexi sleepily sighed.

"Urgh" Lydia loudly growled before turning on her heels and wandering off.

As the sound of her heels drifted down the corridor Meredith shifted slightly "you're comfy" she muttered to Lexi.

"You're comfy too" Lexi replied before the pair of them

...

A few minutes later on what she had decided to name her 'Happiness Wander' Lydia came across a highly disgruntled Christina who was in the process of kicking a vending machine.

"What up" Lydia greeted cheerfully.

Christina simply looked at her and huffed "take your cheerfulness elsewhere this evil machine just ate my money"

Lydia laughed, stepped forward and kicked the machine, in turn releasing Christina's drink and an extra one.

"Gee thanks" Christina replied releasing the drinks and handing one to Lydia.

"Oh thanks" Lydia replied cracking the can open.

"Oh I forgot to mention earlier, I e-mailed your sister" Christina announced before attempting to hurry off.

"You did who with the what now?" Lydia asked speeding up her walk.

"I e-mailed your sister" Christina repeated.

"About you or me?" Lydia asked worriedly.

"About me" Christina replied to which Lydia let out a sigh of relief. "Then in her reply she asked about you so we got talking"

Christina carried on walking.

"Get back here Yang!" Lydia half hysterically screeched. Christina stopped in her tracks though faced away. "Tell me what you told my sister- BETTER YET, show me the e-mails"

Lydia held out her hand. Christina glared at her before handing her her Blackberry with a scowl.

"Oh. My. God" Lydia said quietly after reading the e-mails.

"Sorry" Christina grabbed the phone out of her hand and ran off, passing a bemused and approaching Mark.

"What's her deal?" Mark asked as he wandered over to Lydia.

"Little demon surgeon over there has been e-mailing Julia- AND talkingaboutme!" she half screeched at the end. To which Mark placed his hand over his ears.

"So" he replied.

"SO! That freakin' woman is using Yang to spy on me now, and guaranteed tonight when I get home I'll have a message on my machine from her saying 'we need to talk', urgh" Lydia angrily explained.

For a moment Mark stood unsure how to react to her hysteric and angry behaviour "wanna go get nailed to the bar at O'Riley's to celebrate your Attendingness?"

"Fine" she huffed in response before continuing on her now 'Peeved Off Wander'. "Frickin' Yang" she muttered as they walking along to which Mark went to place a hand on her shoulder, but hesitated and placed it firmly back by his side.

...

"My face is literally-stuck-to the bar" Lydia slurred with her head resting against the bar.

"Me too" Mark slurred back in a similar position, body hanging off his stool.

"I think the alcohol has gone to my head, in its entirety and is acting as an anchor thingy" Lydia added fluttering her eyelids.

The bartender rolled his eyes and slammed a phone book down on the bar between them.

"Ow" Mark grunted in response.

"Duck" Lydia responded, simultaneously falling from her stool. "I'm okay" Mark looked down to her and laughed slightly before looking to the bartender.

"She's wasted" he laughed.

"So are you, sir" the bartender replied.

"Here here!" Mark yelled before raising his glass and drinking the last drop of his whisky. "Can you call me a taxi I have no fingers" he muttered to the bartender before falling off the stool and joining Lydia in a pile on the floor.

The bartender rolled his eyes and wandered over to the bar phone.

...

"Urgh" was Lydia's response as her eyes found the light of the room she was in. Slowly she turned her head and lifted her hand to rub it against her face in an attempt at waking herself up. Somehow she lifted her body to an upright position and slowly opened her eyes . 'Mark's apartment' she thought in sadness. 'Now I have to walk all the way round to my apartment, only a few blocks away sure but still- I like my new apartment- I can throw up in my new apartment' Lydia lifted her hand to her mouth. She noted how Mark's bedroom door was open and so after a moment's struggle with gravity hoisted herself to a standing position, wobbling slightly as she did so before staggering to his bedroom door. She looked into him sleeping fully clothed, half on the bed half on the floor. "MARK I'M GOING HOME TO BED" she shouted though regretted it afterwards upon her voice cracking and breaking on the last word.

"Bye" he muttered before falling to the floor and rolling onto his side.

"Bye" she muttered to herself before returning to the living room and lifting up her bag. 'I should check my face in the mirror' she thought glancing at the bathroom 'screw that I need to go throw up in my own home'. She staggered out of the apartment and found the cool air breeze outside. It must have been the middle of the day with people going about their business and continually offering her empathetic glances.

It wasn't long before she found her apartment. 'Not the best idea getting a room on the top floor' she thought she thought to herself.

"I must agree" a voice replied to her from the left .

Startled, not only that she had said it out loud but also by the fact someone had replied she turned to face the speaker her eyes slightly wide. Her face fell in shock.

"Hi" he added, sheepishly. He was tall, as tall as mark. His skin was a pale pale white and he was extremely skinny, hair a longish white blonde. Eyes bright blue though holding little life in them.

"Dyl" Lydia managed, her voice quiet.

"Hey Lyds" he replied with a smile.

...

"Nice apartment" Dylan noted as he wandered over to the window taking the room in.

"Thanks" Lydia replied quietly, watching him cautiously. She placed her keys on the counter of the open plan living room-kitchen.

"Always new you'd do well" he added quietly.

"Why are you here" Lydia asked slightly annoyed.

"To see my wife" Dylan turned around to face her.

"Soon to be ex" she replied with a glare.

"Oh yeah, it was a nice surprise those divorce papers" he replied with a light smile. "C'mon we can work this out, you just left- I never had a chance-"

"YOU HAD PLENTY OF CHANCE!" Lydia screamed at him as an anger deep inside her sprung free. His eyes widened in shock "I WARNED YOU! I TOLD YOU TO GET HELP! YOU IGNORNED ME! I LOVED YOU! I LEFT YOU! I STOPPED LOVING YOU!" she added.

"You'll never stop loving me" he laughed in response.

"Believe me Dylan, I have- now leave" Lydia stepped aside to let him out.

"No let's talk about this" he stubbornly replied with a smile.

"You're a sad, lonely, junkie there's nothing to talk about dumbass- you're lucky you're not in jail" Lydia seethed.

"That's in the past, I'm clean now- I'm on the right track" he replied calmly.

"Too little, too late, get out before I call the cops" Lydia ordered.

"Don't be rash" he stepped closer to her.

"OUT!" she screamed.

There was a knock on the door.

"EVERYTHING OKAY IN THERE?" a man shouted.

"Leave" Lydia replied quietly.

Dylan stood for a moment, before sighing and leaving. A Man was stood just outside and watched him leave.

"Sorry Roger" Lydia said quietly. "If he comes by here again call the police" she warned.

"Certainly, is everything alright Miss Dixon?" he asked with concern.

"It is now, thank you" she offered him a smile before closing the door. She crossed the room and picked up her phone ready to dial Mark's number, she thought for a moment then left it. Instead she noticed a flashing red light on her machine. She pressed the button.

"You have one new message: Lydia it's Julia we need to talk call me back when you get this" it read.

"Eeesh, better get this shit over with" Lydia sighed. She lifted the phone and dialled.

"Hello" she greeted with false enthusiasm.

"Hi" Julia replied similarly.

"I got your message" Lydia added awkwardly as no further conversation was made.

"Dylan's parent's called me and told me he was heading out to Seattle, thought you should know" Julia replied monotone voice.

"Thanks" Lydia sighed before adding "you're a little late I found him just know when I got home"

"Why are you only just getting in?" Lydia rolled her eyes at her sister's missing the point.

"I went out last night"

"And only just got in?" Julia replied slightly annoyed.

"I'm 26" Lydia huffed in response.

"What did he say?" Julia continued.

"Who Mark?"Lydia asked in confusion.

"Why Mark?"

"That's who I was out with" Lydia replied sarcastically.

"You were out with Mark?"

"I thought I said" she shrugged her shoulders.

"He's too old for you to be going out with"

"He's my friend" Lydia replied with raised eyebrows.

"He's old enough to be your Dad" Julia snapped.

"That's pathetic, no he isn't" Lydia sighed.

"Anyway I was on about Dylan" Julia continued.

"He wants to talk things over, try to fix things"

"Oh" Julia replied sounding slightly disinterested.

"I told him no" Lydia awkwardly added.

"Good"

"I screamed at him a lot" Lydia added with raised eyebrows, knowing Julia would still hold little interest.

"Oh right" Julia muttered.

"I have to go I'll call you soon, and don't listen to Christina Yang" Lydia impatiently sighed.

"Bye"

Lydia shook her head and ended the call before resting her head back against her couch. "URGH, life." She glanced over to the mirror on her wall and sighed as she looked at her black panda eyes and messed up hair. "Life" she added as she once again threw her head back against the couch.


	9. Chapter 9

"Geez what's wrong with your face?" Callie asked Mark in her usual unsympathetic tone as they sat down at lunch.

"Lydia" he muttered not looking up from the table.

"Why? She knock you back?" Callie asked her tone unchanged.

Mark looked to her "you know I don't see her like that" he said simply before sighing.

Callie stopped eating and placed down her fork. For the first time she carefully examined Mark's expression. "What's happened?" she asked him softly before placing her hand on his and squeezing slightly.

"Long story" he sighed.

"Shorten it" Callie pressed with a soft smile.

Mark looked up to her, finally meeting her gaze and shook his head before releasing her hand. "Not for me to tell" he said simply.

...

At the end of her shift Lydia tiredly entered the lift up to Paediatrics, Callie followed her in shortly after.

"Hey" Lydia greeted her with a tired smile.

"Hey, you look like crap been on all day?"

"Haha thanks and yes, long day..." Lydia replied quietly.

"Where are you going" Callie asked attempting to make conversation.

"Checking on a kid that was brought in before, you going seeing Arizona?" Lydia asked turning her body and smiling to Callie.

"Yep, she's on another couple of hours" Callie sighed sadly.

"Aww" Lydia offered her a sympathetic look "you'll have to get her tea ready" she winked.

"Pfft, right yeah" Callie laughed in response. The lift doors opened "so I was talking to Mark before, he seemed really down" she continued as they walked towards Paediatrics.

"Was he? I might go see him in a bit" Lydia replied concerned.

"That's funny"

"Why" Lydia asked confused.

"He told me you were the reason he was so down" Lydia stopped.

"Me?" she asked.

"Yep" Callie stopped and turned to her.

Lydia closed her eyes and shook her head before carrying on towards paeds followed by a confused Callie.

"Why" Callie asked curiously trying to keep up

"He's being an asshole, as per usual" Lydia explained offering Callie a 'less than impressed' look. "If he tries talking to you about me again tell him I'm going to beat the crap out of him"

Callie laughed "okay"

"Hey" Arizona cheerfully greeted them as they approached the nurses' station.

"Hey baby" Callie greeted her kissing her on the cheek.

"What up" Lydia replied with a nod.

"You here to check on Sammy?" Arizona asked, smiling happily.

"Yeah, I take it from your smile he did just fine" Lydia asked with relief.

"He certainly did, he woke up a couple of hours ago hasn't stopped talking since" Arizona replied while Callie looked between them both smiling.

"Aww that's great" Lydia smiled, her expression lightening instantly though the tiredness in her eyes lingered.

"Are you okay?" Arizona frowned examining her expression closely.

"Yeah why?" Lydia asked slightly worried.

"You look exhausted" the blonde replied with a concerned look "have you been sleeping?"

"Like a baby" Lydia smiled reassuringly.

"Babies don't sleep all that well" Callie countered.

"Like a rock then" Lydia shrugged her shoulders and offered Callie a playful scowl.

"Hmm" Arizona relied unconvinced.

"My god, I'll get a full night tonight I promise you Mom 1 and Mom 2! You're worse than Mark" Lydia sighed.

"I'll know if you don't" Callie added with wide and overly-knowing eyes.

"Creepy" Lydia replied pointing at Callie.

"True" Callie replied playfully pointing back.

"Goodnight my favourite creepy couple" Lydia laughed with a roll of her eyes.

"Goodnight my favourite sleepless alcoholic" Callie replied, Lydia playfully gasped in shock.

"Oh oh err" Callie and Lydia watched Arizona with amused smiles as she thought up a goodbye.

"Come on my favourite dimple cheeked blonde" Callie laughed wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"Oh! Good night my favourite emergency room attending!" Callie called as they began to walk away.

"Night" Lydia laughed before walking in the opposite direction. She stopped at one of the rooms.

"Dr Dixon" a weary looking lady whispered from a chair at a young boy's bedside.

"Mrs Reynolds, hello, how's our champ doing?" Lydia asked with a smile stepping in.

"Really well, thank you so so much for all you did" the lady whispered, a grateful smile forming on her face.

"It was my pleasure, he's a lovely young kid" Lydia smiled to her.

The boy's eyes opened slightly. "Dixie" he croaked slightly, a weak smile on his face.

"Hey dude, I hear you did great in the op" Lydia stood at the top of the bed and smiled to him.

"Yeah" he smiled "are you still in work?"

"Mm no, just finished figured I'd come check on my favourite patient!" Sammy laughed lightly. "You know I had a man in before, he was really old- almost forty! And he had a cut on his head and cried the whole time I tried to stitch it up! I told him 'I got a young man upstairs who has to have an operation and he never cried once' he didn't believe me when I told him how brave you were!" Lydia smiled.

"I'm the bravest kid in school" Sammy croaked proudly.

"That I can definitely believe" Lydia smiled "anyway you better get some rest, I'll come see you tomorrow when my shift starts"

"Okay, night" Sammy croaked before he was lulled back to sleep.

"You're so good Dr Dixon, you don't think you should be doing this instead?" Mrs Reynolds asked.

Lydia laughed slightly and smiled "I would but...what I do is more of a challenge...some of the docs here wouldn't have the first clue how to fix up an adult but I can do it all" Lydia shrugged.

"I hope I'm not speaking out of turn, but you're very young, so accomplished, your parents must be very proud" Mrs Reynolds said softly.

"Oh thank you" Lydia replied with a touched smile "that's really means a lot, thank you. Do you need anything before I go home?"

"No we're all set, thank you" Mrs Reynolds smiled to her.

"Alright, I'll see you in the morning" Lydia whispered with a smile glancing over to a sleeping Sammy.

"Goodnight Dr Dixon" Mrs Reynolds replied with a grateful smile.

"Please, call me Lydia"

"Lydia" Mrs Reynolds gave her a slight nod smiling warmly.

...

As she stepped outside Lydia pulled her hood over her head as the rain began to beat down across Seattle.

"Why did I move here again" she muttered to herself grumpily.

"Hey" she heard someone call. She turned to seen Dylan standing by a bench.

"Oh that's why" she muttered to herself again. "What do you want?"

"How welcoming" Dylan laughed. "Come on I just want to talk"

"Mm you've said oh and done enough" she replied remaining where she stood.

"C'mon baby, I love you" Dylan frowned.

"If you loved me you'd leave me and let me live my life"

Dylan didn't say anything he simply looked to the side and huffed. "Why won't you try again with me?"

"Urm, you nearly killed me...you killed our unborn baby...you're an ass...an addict...and violent" Dylan's eyes began to fill with tears. "How can you not see why I want you out of my life?"

"I've changed" he pleaded quietly.

"But the past hasn't, sweetheart" Lydia replied sadly.

He looked up to her, eyes lost and she began to feel her heart melt.

"You" the tone in Mark's voice as he appeared behind her was enough to send a chill down her spine. She turned to face him eyes wide with shock.

"Mark don't!" she yelled as Mark stepped forward. She clutched hold of his arm. Dylan stepped back in shock. Veins popped out of Mark's neck and his teeth were clenched as anger rose within him. "Dylan leave!" Lydia ordered as she tried to hold Mark back.

Slowly Dylan backed away but Mark released himself from her weak grip.

"No stay" Mark sneered. He lunged towards Dylan knocking him to the floor.

"Get off" Dylan yelled though made no attempt to fight him off.

"Oh you won't hit a grown man but you'll hit a pregnant woman who you supposedly love!" Mark seethed.

Lydia glanced around to see if anyone was listening "Mark shut up!"

She stepped forward and attempted to pull him off.

"I'm gonna kill you" he growled to Dylan's face though his hands staying pinning his arms down.

"MARK!" Lydia shrieked as a last resort.

"Why shouldn't I? Why shouldn't I?" Mark continued to growl.

"For me! For me please let him go, he isn't worth it!" she waited for a response from Mark. "Please" she repeated after a moment. Dylan's eyes simple stared into Mark's with shock.

Moving quicker than she expected Mark stood up and away from Dylan. For a moment Dylan stayed lay on the ground before standing up and brushing himself off. Lydia let out a sigh. Though her eyes widened with shock as Mark suddenly lunged, fist first at Dylan. There was a loud crack as his fist collided with Dylan's jaw.

"MARK" Lydia screamed. Dylan fell hard to the floor. She looked in shock between Mark and Dylan. "GO HOME! NOW!" she ordered to Mark who looked at her in confusion. "GO LEAVE I DON'T WANT YOU HERE GO GO GO GO GO" she screamed hysterically at him.

In shock and confusion Mark backed away glancing to Dylan before turning and rushing off to his car.

"Ow" Dylan muttered holding his jaw. Lydia glanced to him eyes still wide and mouth agape in shock.

"I-I- come inside and get checked out" Lydia said quietly, her voice barely audible.

...

"URGH" Mark grunted as he stormed up the hall. He went to go to his own apartment before turning and heading to the one opposite. He knocked on the door.

"Mark?" Callie called through the door. She opened it "god break down the door why don't you! Good job you never woke-"

"I could have killed him" Mark began to repeatedly growl under his breath, staying in the door way. "I could have I could have"

"Killed who what?" Callie asked in shock.

"Is that Mark?" Arizona called popping her head around from the kitchen. "Why's his hand bleeding?" Arizona asked slightly worried.

"You did it again?" Callie gasped grabbing his hand.

"I could have killed him" Mark carried on growling.

"Come inside, sit down, you're making no sense" Callie lead him to the couch.

"I'm too pissed to sit" Mark grunted.

"What's going on Mark? You're starting to freak me out" Callie glanced to Arizona.

"It's a long long story" Mark replied pacing.

"That resulted in you punching someone in the face, at least let me look at your hand...is this to do with Lydia?" Callie asked quietly. Mark didn't answer "Mark" she repeated seriously.

"Yeah" he replied shortly.

"What? Why?" Arizona asked stepping forward and taking a seat on the couch. "We saw her like an hour ago, she was fine...tired but fine, right?" she glanced over to Callie.

"Mm" was Callie's reply "what's happened Mark, would you just cool it! You aren't killing anyone in this room are you?"

Suddenly they could both hear banging on Mark's door.

"Lydia?" Arizona asked quite shocked.

"MARK" they could hear her yelling.

"Stay here!" Callie warned Mark before going to the door. She opened it to find Lydia with her wrists resting on Mark's door. "Lydia?"

"Where is he?" she asked not looking at Callie, though her voice was thick like she'd been crying.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" Callie stepped closer to her.

"I just want Mark, is he home?" Lydia breathed through tears, her voice breaking slightly.

"I'm here" Mark said quietly, appearing behind Callie. Lydia wiped at her eyes before turning around. A long cut ran from her ear to her cheek "What the" he gasped, eyes widening. The cut was dripping down her cheek. Callie looked in shock. Arizona peered between them

"Oh my god Lydia" she said quietly.

"Why" Lydia sighed to Mark, her eyes full of sadness. "Why did you do it?"

"Did he do this?" Mark asked ignoring her, his voice slightly raised.

"Would you shut up!" Lydia half yelled at him standing closer to him and staring angrily into his eyes.

"Hey woah woah" Callie attempted at calming the situation.

"Why did you get involved?" Lydia seethed at him.

"He did this didn't he? I'll kill him" Mark growled.

In a fit of frustration Lydia pushed him "listen to yourself!" Mark froze. She pushed him again "why did you get involved?" she slammed a fist into his chest.

"Alright stop!" Callie stood between them. "Arizona clean up her cut"

"Come on sweetheart" Arizona signalled her into her apartment.

"When you calm down, we'll talk" Lydia said coldly to him.

"Come on" Callie pulled his arm and dragged him over to his apartment.

...

"Sit there sweetie, I'll get you cleaned up" Arizona offered Lydia a smile.

"Thanks" Lydia said quietly before resting her head in her hands.

Arizona hurried off into the bathroom returning quickly.

"Okay let me see" she said softly kneeling in front of Lydia.

Lydia lifted her head; her eyes were bloodshot as tears fell silently down her cheeks. Arizona brushed her hair off her face.

"You're okay sweetie, we'll fix it whatever it is. Okay?" Silently as she fought back tears Lydia nodded. "Okay, let's clean this cut"

...

"Mark stop it" Callie sighed as Mark punched his wall. "Sit your ass down!" she ordered in a no-nonsense tone. Mark looked at her. "It wasn't a question" she hissed at him.

Mark swallowed hard and took a seat in his chair.

"Explain to me, what is going on" Callie said slowly.

"I don't think I can" I replied simply after a while.

"Well you've come this far, you've brought whatever it is to our front door so explain, please" Callie pressed slowly.

"Alright" he said quietly. "I'll explain"

...

"All done" Arizona smiled.

"Thanks" Lydia replied sitting up straight.

"So..." Arizona said taking a seat next to her on the couch. "What does a girl have to do to get a cut like that on her cheek?"

"I...didn't do anything" Lydia sighed.

"Mark did?" Arizona asked with a slight frown.

Lydia let out a long sigh "Mark...reacted"

"Okay...he reacted...he did this?" Arizona asked. Lydia bowed her head. With concern Arizona placed a hand on her shoulder.

"No, my husband did" Lydia finally answered.

Arizona's eyes widened "you're..."

"It's a long horrible story" Lydia sighed.

"I have time" Arizona said softly.

Lydia let out a strangled sigh before muttering through tears "I don't have the energy"

"Okay, aww okay come here" Arizona pulled the young woman into her arms. Lydia wrapped her arms around Arizona and buried her head into her shoulder letting her tears fall free. Working with children all day Arizona couldn't help but feel like she was holding one of her kids. Lydia's eyes had held that same innocent and lost look that she'd seen a thousand times over in the eyes of little kids, little kids that just wanted normalcy and peace. "It'll be okay whatever it is" Arizona soothed rubbing Lydia's back. "It'll be okay"

At that moment Callie walked in, following closely by Mark who had his head bowed.

Arizona offered her a smile but Callie's eyes seemed to be filled with the same sadness as Mark's. Lydia glanced up to her.

"I told her" Mark said quietly and guiltily.

Lydia stood up slowly and faced Lydia and Callie.

"Lydia" Callie said simply.

Lydia shook her head and forced a smile which faltered as tears began to fall.

Arizona looked between all of their expressions still unknowing.

Lydia began to step towards Mark. At first slowly, almost threatening, but then she rushed into him and wrapped her arms around him breaking down against his chest. Instantly Mark wrapped his arms around her back.

"You're okay, you're okay" he whispered to her.

Arizona looked to Callie who shook her head and mouthed 'I'll explain later'.

**Sorry it's taken so long to update! What do we think of Lydia's reaction to Mark? I wanted to slap her when I wrote this! And hi 5 Markyboy! : )**


	10. Chapter 10

Callie sighed as she closed the door to her apartment. Arizona was sat gazing up to her from the couch waiting for her wife to break the intense awkward silence.

"They're settled on the couch for now just talking things through, I think she'll stay the night then go home in the morning" Callie explained.

"Come here" was Arizona's response, she held out her arms to her wife whose expression had turned so sad. "Now will you explain to me what's going on, please?" she added once Callie was settled in her arms.

"I don't honestly know where to begin..." she replied quietly.

"You could start with how Lydia has a husband" Arizona sighed.

"Urgh I don't want to think about him" Callie muttered, a look of distaste on her face. Arizona frowned slightly. "I guess I should start with him being a total loser drug bum..." Callie sighed after a while.

She explained the story to an ever saddening Arizona. They sat in silence for a while after the story was told.

Arizona cleared her throat before speaking "how could anyone hurt her?" Callie shook her head "she's so young and innocent and nice"

"I know" Callie sighed.

"God! What is wrong with some people!"

"Don't know" Callie muttered gazing into thin air.

"What do we do?" Arizona asked quietly.

"Nothing, this is her business- we're just her fall back girls, we'll be there for her at the end of the day" Callie offered Arizona a slight smile.

"Wish I could do more"

"Wish I could kick his head in"

...

Mark and Lydia lay cuddled together on the couch, both of their eyes blood shot from tears.

"Geez you cry more than me" Lydia croaked wiping away a stray tear.

Mark cleared his throat and shifted slightly "a real man knows how to cry" he said quietly.

"Mm" she sighed in response.

"How could this have happened to you" he said quietly, more so to himself. Lydia didn't reply. "You could have called me, I would have been there, you know that"

"I know..." Lydia quietly replied "I was young, stupid. I thought I could handle it, I thought I had to, I thought I was being a good wife"

"Not stupid, never stupid...what do we do now? You can stay here for as long as you need"

"Thanks...I'm gonna have to see him, talk this stuff out" Lydia sighed.

"You should call the police"

"So you can get charged for assault to" she replied looking up to him.

"Worth it" Mark muttered.

"No, just cause more trouble, besides he's nearly as rich as we are- he'd just buy his way to freedom"

"Is that why he wasn't sent down for what he did to you" Mark asked in shock.

"Yeah, why do you think I left the city?" Lydia looked to him again. Mark shook his head.

"Mm well when you see him make it somewhere public and I'll park up outside"

"What are you the mafia" Lydia laughed slightly.

"I'm the godfather" Mark replied simply.

Lydia laughed slightly and smacked his chest lightly "dufus"

"Nerd"

...

The next morning Callie peeked her head into Mark's apartment. He and Lydia were both lay in the same position fast asleep, she smiled slightly and shut the door quietly before sighing and heading down the stairs with Sofia in the car seat.

Hearing the door Mark woke with a slight jump. He watched Lydia cautiously, suddenly remembering the night before and being careful not to wake her. However she grunted slightly and lifted her head.

"What time is it" she sighed, not opening her eyes.

Mark glanced over to the clock at the other end of the room.

"Six thirty" he replied, voice quite deep and rough.

"Urgh I have to be in work for eight" Lydia grunted sitting up and rubbing her face. Mark sat up straight too. "Ow" Lydia muttered as her hand traced over her cut "forgot about that" she added.

"Did you sleep okay" Mark asked, avoiding the subject.

"Yeah, did you?"

"I did actually" he laughed slightly.

"Is your hand sore?" Lydia asked noticing the bruising of his knuckles.

"Nope" he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm gonna get a shower"

"I need to get home, I'll see you in work?"

"Want me to come round with you? We'll go into work together" Mark offered.

"Nah, I'll be okay" she sighed with a thankful smile.

"Okay" he smiled back.

They stood up and she gave him a tight hug which he returned.

"Thank you Marky, love you" she whispered to him.

"Love you too kid" he replied running a hand through her hair.

"Okay, I really better go" Lydia laughed.

"See you in work" he called to her as she headed to the door.

"See ya" she called back with a smile as she slipped through the door.

Just as she entered the corridor Arizona was locking the door to her apartment.

"Morning" Lydia said awkwardly.

For a moment Arizona looked at her, half way between crying and grabbing her in a hug 'get it together' she thought to herself "morning" she replied with a warm smile after a moment. "How's your cheek?"

"Sore- thanks for cleaning it up though" Lydia smiled to her thankfully as they walked to the staircase.

"Not a problem" Arizona smiled to her.

An awkward silence filled the staircase, leaving only the sound of their heels to the steps.

"Did Callie tell you everything" Lydia asked quietly after a moment.

Arizona glanced to her before replied softly "yeah"

"Would you mind just keeping it between the two of you, I don't want others..."

"No yeah of course, of course"

"Thanks" Lydia smiled to her.

As they came to the pavement Lydia began to turn right while Arizona continued straight.

"Hey Lydia" Arizona said quietly. Lydia stopped and turned to Arizona. "I just...you know...you can always talk to me about what happened"

"Thanks, that means a lot" Lydia smiled sincerely to her. "I'll see you at work"

"Okay" Arizona smiled back to her "see you there"

...

It was a long shift and it felt like every five minutes someone else was asking how she received her cut. 'I fell in the shower' that was her best excuse, and she stuck to it. No one had encountered Dylan, he refused point blank to enter the emergency room, much to Lydia's relief as she couldn't bare the questions and stares.

"Dixie we got an MVA rolling in two critical and a minor with no sign of trauma" a nurse called.

"Thanks Lucy- Okay people!" Lydia called slightly loud. The surrounding residents and interns closed in. "Holly you're with Megan I want you to take the first one to trauma 2, Daniel go with them. Michael and Alex your taking the second one and I'll be in with you in a bit. Sam you're with me with the kid- alright let's go"

After an hour or so Mark wandered down to the emergency room. He spotted Lydia in the drug's cupboard.

"Hi" he called to her. She turned around and offered him a smile.

"Hey, how's your day?" she asked him semi-cheerfully.

"Crappy, what about yours?" he asked her nonchalantly.

"Awesome, we had an MVA come in and the Dad had this shard of metal sticking through his leg, anyway I totally fixed him up good...Hunt had like nothing to do you should have seen his face. Not a happy bunny" Lydia laughed as she rooted through a box of meds.

"Were the family okay?" Mark laughed.

"Yeah, I think...the Mom's in surgery- perforated lung, but she'll be fine" Lydia shrugged her shoulders.

"Awesome" Mark laughed.

"Wanna have lunch at like 3?" Lydia asked after a moment still looking in the drug box.

"Dixie we need you" Megan called from behind Mark.

"Okay I'm coming" Lydia called before leaving the meds.

"3 sounds great" Mark smiled to her as she left the drugs lock up.

"Cool" Lydia smiled to him.

He watched her as she hurried over to a trauma.

"What have we got?" Lydia asked Megan.

"52 year old male, complaining of back pain LOC on arrival but he's back with us now"

"Alright roll him to exam two, hello sir I'm Dr Dixon can you describe the pain to me?" Lydia sighed.

Mark watched in wonder. This was the girl that used to ask him to play hide and seek, the girl that would never take her fairy wings off. He'd always seen her as a little girl, young, innocent, but here she's a woman, strong, intelligent, a fighter.

As the man spoke Lydia took in every detail of his manner. His eyes were wide with anxiety, he was sat awkwardly straight and he seemed almost too quiet. Sudden onset back pain, now moving into his stomach as well.

"It's a triple A, we need to get him to surgery now" she called.

"All the theatres are booked I just checked" Megan replied anxiously.

The man suddenly collapsed against the bed.

"He's hypotensive" Lydia called. "Alright this things ruptured"

"Should we move him to trauma too?" Megan asked in shock.

"No he isn't stable" Lydia called as she began to prep his abdomen.

"What are you doing?" Megan asked.

"We're going to cross clamp it here" Lydia said quietly not looking up.

...

"Did you hear about Dixie's trauma today?" Meredith asked as she Lexie and Callie sat at lunch.

"No why" Callie asked looking up from her food for the first time at lunch.

"She cross clamped an aorta, in an exam room"

"What? Can she even do that?" Lexie asked in shock.

"Apparently it's not her first, and apparently she used to be half surgical and half ER doc over in NYC" Meredith added with impressed raised eyebrows. "Ask her yourself" Meredith nodded over to Lydia who had just entered the cafeteria with Mark.

"Hey Dixie" Lexie turned in her seat.

"Yeah" Lydia asked with a slightly amused smile.

"Did you cross clamp an aorta?"

"Yeah why?" Lydia asked with confusion.

"How?" Lexie repeated.

She glanced to Mark in amusement before answering "well it's not my first, and I was in surgical back east"

"I've never cross clamped an aorta on my own" Lexie gasped with wide eyes.

"I wasn't alone, Megan Ascott was there" Lydia laughed in response.

"She isn't surgical though"

"No but she has hands and knows how to follow orders" Lydia winked at Lexie who smiled and turned back to the table.

"She was surgical" Callie asked with curious eyes as she watched her and Mark at the counter.

"Mm apparently she was offered a fellowship at some hospital in Chicago for cardio but turned it down" Meredith added.

"Who did what with cardio?" Christina asked as she approached their table.

"Dixie" Meredith answered between mouthfuls of her dinner.

"What? She's sniffing around cardio? That's mine" Christina watched her with a scowl.

"No she was offered a fellowship, it was with that dude...Kensi...Kensoi-"

"Kennison?" Christina asked with a look of disgust.

"Yeah that's the dude" Meredith replied nonchalantly continuing eating her dinner.

"And she turned it down?" Christina asked with a growing disgust.

"Mhmm" Meredith replied as she shoved a big piece of salad into her mouth.

"Urgh" Christina grunted as she sat down. "What did she do bang half of Harvard? Then again aren't her family worth fortunes? They're probably hoping that she'll give them money. Then of course there's her sister-"

"Shut up Yang" Callie ordered under her breath.

Christina simply looked over to her with shock before scowling back over at Lydia and making another 'urgh' sound.

...

Anxiously Lydia walked to the Chief's Office. After hearing about her work in the ER he'd paged downstairs to see her ASAP 'not happy words' she thought to herself. Coming to a stop at his office she let out a long sigh before gently tapping his door.

"Come in" she heard him call.

Slowly she entered his office.

"Ah Lydia" he smiled to her, though she could see something hidden within his smile.

"Chief" Lydia smiled in response, nervousness apparent in her manner.

"Please, take a seat" he offered her the seat opposite him. Carefully she sat down before him. He waited a moment before speaking, tension filling in the room. Avoiding his gaze, Lydia played with the hem of her scrub shirt. "Excellent work this morning" he began, sincerity in his voice.

"I'm sorry" Lydia said in response, eyes full of guilt.

"Sorry?" he replied confused. "For what? You did an excellent job"

"I have no surgical rights, I didn't even call for a surgeon, I was wreckless. I'm sorry"

"Oh please, you're Julia Dixon's sister. And from what I read in your history you're more than capable of performing such surgeries." Lydia looked up to him, a slight curiosity in her gaze "A girl of your age and you've managed to clock more hours than some of the residents here, very impressive. You're obviously dedicated, offered a lot of time to excel in this job. Is there a particular reason you opted out of doing surgery here?" he asked finally.

Lydia sat for a moment before shrugging "it got to the point where I felt the pull between excelling in surgery or excelling in emergency medicine. I preferred emergency, I can publish more for it and I like finding new procedures and creating better techniques. I feel like I make a difference"

"Well that's a highly respectable decision" he said simply, though secret motives were settled in his smile.

"Thank you sir" Lydia replied softly.

"We're very proud as a hospital to have such an eager and intelligent young doctor like you, and after much consideration we'd like to offer you a split attending role" the chief said simply.

"Erm, how do you mean?" Lydia asked confused.

"We'd like to give you surgical rights here, and we'd like for you to be an attending not only in the ER but in Emergency Surgery too" the Chief smiled to her.

"Th-that's awesome, but, how could that even work? What about the residents?"

"Well for the first year we'd like you to choose two residents to join you on the surgical service and you can teach them about emergency surgeries and publish with them numerous articles which would in turn create one journal to present to the board so they can see the progress you've made" the chief explained while Lydia played the scenario out in her mind.

"I'll do it, but I want my own OR" she said simply.

"Excuse me?" was the chief's shocked reply.

"I want my own OR, my family will pay for it, but it's mine- Torres, Robbins, Sloan, Bailey – all of them upstairs up here aren't allowed in it"

The chief thought for a moment "fine, but you're paying for it"

Lydia smiled cheerfully "awesome. Also I've been meaning to ask, I was hoping to start a clinic- for people that can't afford insurance or get insurance and using the funding from my family to pay for it- but if I could occasionally, _occasionally,_ use it to perform surgeries that for example kids can't get but need, in my OR. That'd be awesome too" Lydia offered him a hopefully smile. The chief placed a finger to his mouth in thought.

"Bring me a full report, and if I like what I see fine" he replied softly.

"Really?" Lydia half chirped.

"Yeah, but trial period only, we'll see how we go" was his stern reply.

"Of course" Lydia replied attempting to contain her happiness.

"Alright then, I want your report next week" the chief added sternly, though with a slight smile.

"Consider it done!" Lydia laughed standing up "Oo! When do I get my surgical rights?"

"Now" he smiled to her.

"Awesome!" she giggled "thank you sir, thank you thank you thank you. I won't let you down"

"You're welcome" he laughed in response to her behaviour.

"Have a good day" she added as she bounced out of his room giggling.

...

Giddly she bounced over to the surgical nurses station where she found Mark and Derek. They smiled at her Cheshire cat grin and bouncy manner.

"What's up with you?" Mark laughed.

"I have surgical riiii-iiiights" she sang dancing around them.

"What?" Derek laughed.

"And I'm getting my own O-RRR-RRR" she sand again.

"You're getting what?" Christina asked, looking like she might throw up as she wandered into the area.

"And I'm opening my own cliiin-nniiiic" she paused for a minute "on triaaaal bassiss for noooo-ooow" she added in song.

"Why?" Mark asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Because the chief thinks I'm awesome!" she replied merrily before dancing off "I'm a surgical aaattendinggg!"

"She's a what?" Christina scoffed.

Derek and Mark exchanged a confused though amused look.

...

Later that day the attending were called into a meeting with the Chief. They all sat whispering, wondering why they were there, and exchanged extreme looks of confusion as Lydia wandered in merrily and took a seat next to the chief who offered her a supportive smile and nod. To which she returned a confident and calm nod.

"Alright" the chief began. Silence filled the room. "I have some very good news. You all know Dr Dixon" Lydia turned slightly to smile to the attending "well she's been reinstated with her surgical rights, and as an ER attending is going to be handling a number of surgeries down in the ER from now on. Now I know she's young" Lydia smiled slightly as she heard a few of the attending shift "but she's extremely talented and has published a great deal for both surgery and emergency medicine and is more than capable, I have it on good word, at running her own surgeries."

"So what? She's the new trauma attending?" Owen asked, trying not to sound slightly offended.

"No" Lydia replied before the chief could "but I'll step in if you need me too, if there's more than one and so on" the chief smiled at her explanation. Owen nodded and smiled sincerely.

"How will this work?" Derek asked confused. "I mean, there aren't enough ORs as it is"

"Erm" the chief smiled "well Lydia is going to be opening her own OR" Lydia couldn't hold back her smile as she thought giddily about her own OR.

"Right on" Mark replied smiling "can I-"

"No" Lydia responded quickly "it's mine, all mine" she smiled cheekily.

"What?" Mark asked slightly upset.

The chief laughed "the OR is going to be down in the ER, and used only for Emergency Surgeries- and surgeries for her clinic" the chief offered her a look of trust, to which she nodded with a smile.

"Awesome" Arizona smiled before giving Lydia a pat on the shoulder. Lydia smiled.

"For now Lydia will be performing the occasional surgery, appy's and such in spaces available and introducing two of her residents to surgical and emergency medicine" the chief explained.

"They'll be scrubbing in?" Callie asked confused.

"Not yet, they're going to observe a couple first, get used to prepping for surgery and things like that but by the time the OR is built they'll be able to scrub in" the chief replied.

"What about this clinic?" Teddy asked with intrigue.

"Well I'll let Lydia explain that one" the chief replied with a soft smile.

Lydia turned her seat to face Teddy and everyone else "it'll be a trust, somewhat. Where families that can't afford insurance can get care, and when I get my OR they can get the surgeries they need too without going through all the difficult routes. Obviously there is a lot that needs to be worked out for such a scheme, freeloader proof and all that but that's what I hope for"

"And you'll be getting the funding from your family?" Mark asked smirking slightly.

"Yes" Lydia replied matching his smile.

"Well alright then" Derek said with a proud smile "welcome to the team, Dr Dixon"

"Thank you" she smiled as the attendings smiled to her supportively. She glanced over to Richard who offered her a trusting smile.

**Bit of a contrast to the last chapter, but the next one is going to be super super dark and action packed SO be prepared and maybe don't read it if you have a bad day haha. It's all about to kick off : ) Let me know what you think!**


	11. Chapter 11

Lydia lay sprawled on her couch, idly flicking through the endless channels which appeared to have nothing interesting on. She'd decided to take an evening off from drinking following the angsty events of the night before and instead plonked herself in her living room. It wasn't something she often did, she didn't even know what programmes where on. Back when she watched TV it was things like The Osbournes and Nick and Jessica that were plastered on every channel, or at least MTV- her favourite. 'Mmm nothing nothing nothing, ER!...seen it, nothing nothing nothing, Jersey Shore?' she left the TV on MTV's Jersey Shore. It wasn't long before she was completely drawn into the show, finding comfort in the familiar New York accents of the cast.

There was a sudden knocking on the door. With a grunt she glared up to the offending noise and apprehensively raised herself from the couch, never taking her eyes off the TV. As she approached the door she looked into the door's peep hole to see the offending knocker. 'Arizona? Callie? Mark?' she grimaced 'I hope they don't want to talk'. Before opening the door Lydia placed a happy smile on her face.

"Hi" she greeted them merrily.

"Helloooo" they sang to her "congratulations!"

Arizona passed a bottle of champagne to her before greeting her with a hug and peck on the cheek and entering her apartment. Callie did the same and handed her a bottle of wine. Mark smiled after them both and raised a bottle of Jack Daniels to which Lydia winked and nodded.

"We figured we'd stop by and join the celebrations" Mark laughed glancing around her empty apartment. "You're watching Jersey Shore?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as he looked at the TV.

"Yeah, gawd I don't party every night Mark!" Lydia laughed. "But thank you"

"You're not celebrating?" Callie asked confused as they took a seat in her living room.

"Well...I was gonna but I'm just tired" Lydia shrugged her shoulders smiling.

Arizona looked at her knowingly "maybe we she do this another night huh?" she suggested.

"No you're here, let's get this party started- besides this Jersey Shore thing is awful and there is NOTHING else on" Lydia laughed. She stood and cracked open the bottle of champagne, to which the rest of her small party cheered. Carefully she poured everyone a glass before flicking on her stereo and blasting out some sort of dance music.

"To Lydia" Mark cheered raising his glass. They all raised they glasses and drank.

"That tastes so good" Callie exclaimed after her drink.

They drank and drank after that making their way through the champagne quickly. It was partially down to the fact that as long as there was a drink to their lips no one had to speak, easing the tension that was so apparent in the room. But after a while their nerves all cooled and they each felt relaxed. Mark and Callie stood in the kitchen slow dancing and laughing while Lydia and Arizona lay huddled together on the couch.

"I like you Arizona" Lydia slurred happily.

"I like you to Dixie" Arizona merrily replied. "I'm soo happy you're surgical now too- s'so awesome"

"I know- I-I'm excited" Lydia replied cheerfully "I'm so happy right now"

"You are?" Arizona looked to her with an overly-relieved expression.

"Sure, I mean there's that- but everything else is just awesome, y'know?" Lydia slurred to her with a drunk smile.

"Yeahhh and you got me and Calliope too and Marko and everybody" Arizona hugged Lydia.

"Aww thank you, I love you guys you know I love you"

"We love you too" Arizona chirped happily.

"I love you too" Callie sat next to Lydia and wrapped her arms around her and Arizona.

Mark stood there smiling "I love you for making all my dreams come true" he laughed looking at them biting his lip playfully and narrowing his eyes seductively.

"Don't be disgusting" Lydia mumbled merrily with a smile.

"Okay" Mark wandered over and lay on top of them all, to which they all grunted and yelled 'get off'.

There was a loud knocking at the front door. They all fell silent. Carefully Mark climbed off them and Lydia sat up staring curiously at the door.

"Want me to answer it?" Mark asked looking ready for a fight.

"No" Lydia replied looking slightly offended and shaking her head. She wandered over to the door and looked through the peep hole. No one was there. With an uneasy sigh she opened the door carefully, half expecting someone to burst through her unguarded door. But instead she was greeted with an envelope on the floor. She glanced around her corridor curiously but there was no one insight. Slowly she entered the apartment staring at the envelope with confusion. Callie, Mark and Arizona sat watching her curiously.

"What's that?" Mark asked after a minute.

"An envelope" Lydia replied quietly examining the object.

"Well aren't you gonna open it?" Callie drunkenly slurred.

"Yeah" Lydia replied quietly, taking a seat on the couch and tearing the top of the envelope.

She lifted out a letter. It seemed to be some sort of form. Immediately her eyes widened when she saw what it was. And a gasp escaped her throat as she saw the words 'I know' at the bottom.

Mark watched her worriedly "what is it?" he asked quietly.

She didn't reply. Instead she ran into her bedroom and locked the door.

The three of them exchanged confused and worried looks before knocking worriedly on her door. They could hear her running around and then she fell silent.

"Lydia open the door" Mark yelled.

"Open up" Arizona repeated worriedly tapping on the door.

They stood like this for a couple of minutes before they heard the bedroom door unlock. Carefully they stepped back as the door creaked open. Lydia eyed them all nervously before sighing "can we please forget my weird little outburst?"

For a moment no one replied they simply examined her manner. But she seemed calm and collected.

"I'll pour us all another drink" Arizona offered, though her expression was full of worried curiousty.

"What was it?" Mark asked after a minute when they were seated in the living room.

Think for a moment before she answered Lydia bit her finger "I'm not entirely sure" she shrugged her shoulders before taking a sip of her drink. "Let's not talk about it" she said finally before smiling to them all.

It was around half an hour later when a certain level of normalcy returned to the room. They exchanged stories of college nights out and memorable drunken endeavours. After a while Lydia crawled over to sit next to Mark on the couch opposite the one which Callie and Arizona comfortably occupied. Following the envelope incident she had succeeded in consuming another bottle of wine along with drinking the Jack Daniels with the rest.

An hour later Callie and Arizona lay on the couch, Arizona slightly on top of Callie with her head resting on her shoulder. They talked quietly over the room to Mark who now had a fully passed out Lydia cradled in his arms. Occasionally he would look down lovingly to her as he spoke.

"How long-have you known her" Arizona mumbled drunkenly.

"Pretty much all her life" he replied happily. "I met her sister at pre-med, she was a baby then"

"She looks like a baby now" Callie laughed looking over to her. "Awww" she added.

"It's hard to take her seriously, I can remember when she was little when we'd go round to their house and she'd sneak in behind her Mom hiding from us all- so shy, and then by the night she'd be sat up laughing with us and talking like you've never known, such an amazing vocabulary for such a small girl...but we always knew she'd be fantastic, even if all she wanted to do was dress up as a fairy and dance around the room! Or play hide and seek" Mark's words fell out of his mouth as he spoke in adoration about the girl in his arms. Sure she was an amazing doctor, far better than himself he had to admit, but in his arms like this she was still a little girl, his little sister and he was her big brother as they'd always joked. But he was, and he'd protect like family for as long as he could.

"You really love her huh" Arizona exclaimed in a warm tone.

"I really do" he replied smiling down to her.

**Okay, this isn't the dark instalment. I've broke it down so it'll be easier for you to digest, so I'll upload the second part ASAP. In all seriousness, things are going to be super dark next time sooo...be prepared! And of course let me know how you feel about this one even if it's a little'n- I love your reviews : ), AB**


	12. Chapter 12

"Stop it" Lydia grunted tiredly against Mark's shirt not opening her eyes.

"What?" Mark laughed slightly, unsure of whether she was awake or not.

"That" she tapped the hand that Mark had been using to draw relaxing circles on her back.

"Why?" he laughed not stopping, realising why.

"Cause it tickles" she replied annoyed before pulling his hand away.

"You used to like it" he replied and offered a sleepy Callie and Arizona a cheeky smile.

"I used to believe in Godzilla too, things change" she muttered not opening her eyes "and you're wrong I wasn't a fairy" Mark laughed at her sleepily correcting him "I was a fairy princess- and you were the Jester as I remember"

"Jester huh?" Callie laughed.

"I can believe that" Arizona giggled.

Mark pouted "I thought you were asleep"

"Resting my eyes" Lydia replied quietly "I love you too, asshole"

"Thanks" Mark smiled slightly.

With an enormous amount of effort Lydia lifted herself into sitting position and rubbed her face. "Did we drink all the wine?" she asked sadly as she glanced over at the empty bottle.

"You did" Mark muttered. She turned and glared at him before smiling slightly.

"I have more" she declared before crossing into the kitchen and opening another bottle.

"You can't honestly be opening another bottle" Mark exclaimed watching her with a raised eyebrow.

"I have a headache" she replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Arizona has awesome cures for headaches" Callie mumbled.

"Calliope!" Arizona slapped her arm. To which Callie giggled at the feebleness of her hit.

As she came to sit down next to Mark with the bottle of wine in hand she smiled at the two women playfully arguing with each other and offering pinches and smacks in response to the others comments.

"You guys are adorable" Lydia smiled.

"I am, she's not" Arizona pointed to herself and then Callie.

"You're both hot" Mark added. They all looked around to him "I thought we were complementing them" he shrugged. Lydia rolled her eyes with a laugh.

"So I need to decided who my surg residents are! Ascott's in for sure- but I don't know whether to pick Hackie or Daniels" she announced, her manner seeming suddenly more awake though still slightly drunk.

"Okay, Ascott- that's that hot girl Megan right?" Mark asked.

Lydia shook her head "yeah, Megan is the most promising resident we have...and she is slightly hot"

"You think she's hot?" Mark repeated in shock.

"Well she is" Lydia shrugged her shoulders matter-of-a-factly.

Mark smiled to himself for a moment while Callie and Arizona laughed.

"Hackie's got skills, I've seen him in action" Callie answered after a moment.

"Which ones he?" Mark asked sounding less interested.

"Zack Hackie?..." Lydia laughed, though looked slightly annoyed that Mark wasn't aware of the ER residents. He still looked at her confused.

"He looks like Screech from Saved From The Bell" Arizona laughed.

"Oh that guy. He's a geek" Lydia smacked his arm.

"And babe it's Saved By The Bell" Callie corrected Arizona.

"Sorry spell check" Arizona laughed prodding the latina's collar bone.

"You will be" Callie prodded her stomach making Arizona buckle in laughter and fall against her.

Mark and Lydia exchanged looks and shook their heads with laughter at the couple before them.

"And who was the other dude" Mark finally said.

"Daniels, Jack Daniels" Lydia sighed, knowing what would come next.

"His names Jack Daniels?" Mark laughed "Jack Daniels?" he picked up the bottle of Jack Daniels and pointed to the label "Jack Daniels" he repeated.

Lydia pulled the bottle from his hand and placed it on her other side "yes, Jack Daniels" she laughed.

"Well he's a winner" Mark placed his hands behind his head happy in his decision.

"Er it's my decision, gay face" Lydia smacked his leg.

"Gay face, seriously?" Mark laughed.

"Shut up, whatever..." Lydia sighed before taking a sip of her wine.

"I don't like him" Arizona shook her head. "I keep catching him looking at my ass, I mean it's bad enough when you do it" she looked to Sloan.

"Actually I look at your boobs, but..." Arizona scowled at him and shook her head.

"Mark" Callie shook her head in playful disappointment "no he's like a baby Karev, I don't like him either"

"He's done some pretty awesome procedures though" Lydia argued.

"See he's awesome" Mark said raising his hand.

"He's also made a lot of mistakes because he thinks he's always right" Lydia added.

"Cocky and arrogant like any great surgeon should be" Mark reasoned.

Lydia raised her eyebrow with a cheeky smile "what do you know about being a great surgeon"

"Hahaaaa" Callie half cackled, half laughed.

"I vote Daniels" he raised his hand ignoring their tormenting him.

"I vote Zackie Hackie" Arizona sang raising her arm.

"I vote Zackie Hackie too" Callie chimed in.

"Urgh" Lydia placed her hands either side of her face. Suddenly her expression lit up "I know, I'll make them fight for it...could help me get quite a lot of work done too...alrighty then"

"Be careful" Callie warned though she held a smile on her face "things could get ugly"

Lydia laughed and nodded.

They stayed up all night after that and the next morning Callie, Arizona and Mark wandered sleepily back to their apartment block.

"Strange about that letter huh" Arizona muttered as Callie unlocked their door.

"Yeah" Mark added thoughtfully. "See you lovers later" he said with a laugh before wandering into his apartment.

"Bye" they replied shaking their heads.

...

A week later and Lydia had reached her decision, a decision helped by the fact that Hackie had no interest in surgery so she reluctantly gave the space to Daniels who couldn't control the arrogant smirk that crossed his face at the thought of practicing surgery.

"Daniels? Seriously? I have to work with Daniels?" Megan asked Lydia as they walked down a corridor together, the girl tied up her dark hair and brushed a hand over the top.

"Hackie didn't want it, sorry" Lydia shrugged her shoulders apologetically. "But you won't be working _with_ him you'll be doing different surgeries...I may send you up to the galleries every once in a while though together if there's a really interesting case"

"Fine" Megan sighed with a roll of her eyes. Lydia laughed "we're going Joe's tonight if your coming" she offered before they parted ways.

Lydia bit her lip in thought "I'll get back to you okay?"

"Sure" Megan smiled. "Catch you later"

"See ya" Lydia smiled as she headed in the opposite direction.

As they parted ways a nurse ran to the spot where they had been.

"ASCOTT, DIXON" she shouted after them both. "WE GOT A BAD O.D. COMING IN" she ran back from the direction she came.

For a split second Lydia's and Megan's eyes met before they ran after the nurse. As they reached the ambulance bay the patient was being offloaded.

"26, male, LOC- he's taken something couldn't work out what, some sort of cocktail, had to intubate on scene" the paramedic explained.

As the gurney was pulled further off the rig Lydia's eyes widened "Dylan" she muttered under her breath, hands instantly gripping to the rails of the stretcher.

"You know him?" Megan asked. Lydia hadn't even noticed they'd already began moving him into a trauma room. She didn't answer Megan "Dixie! Dixie!" Megan asked as they moved Dylan from the stretcher to a bed. "DR DIXON" Megan yelled.

"What?" Lydia finally replied looking up to her.

"Do you know him?" Megan repeated.

"Yes..." Lydia replied quietly.

"Is he a freque-" Megan saw the needle marks on his arm "never mind. Get me a tox screen, chem 7, CBC and blood gas" she yelled "Dixie, who is he?" she asked placing a hand on Lydia's arm.

"My husband" Lydia's voice was barely audible. Megan glanced to the nurse who was administering drugs, who in response widened her eyes slightly in shock and carried on.

"I didn't know..." Megan said quietly, watching Lydia gazing at the man before her.

"We're separated" Lydia explained dryly. She closed her eyes. Suddenly the machine began beeping.

"He's in SVT" Megan yelled. Lydia stood and watched, eyes wide. "Woah, no he's not, he barely has a pulse- what the hell! What has he taken! He's back to SVT! Bradycardic! Jesus, what do I do Dixie what do I do?" Megan asked turning to her.

After a moment Lydia snapped out of her trance "it's his cocktail, he does this" she said stepping around the bed. She took the drugs from the nurse and began to administer her own cocktail into a syringe which Megan assumed would work as an antidote. "He mixes heroin and some sedative before adding a splash of phets" she explained bitterly.

"Anphetamine?" Megan asked in shock.

"Mm" Lydia replied as she concentrated. "Get me the crash cart please" she said quietly. Megan gave her a confused look before complying with her orders. As she returned she watched as Lydia plunged the needle directly into his heart. "Okay charge it to a hundred" Lydia said quietly not taking her eyes off Dylan. Megan cautiously charged the machine. A few people were now gathered by the door of the trauma room staring in wonderment at Lydia's actions. Lydia took the paddles from Megan "clear" she shouted before charging the paddles against Dylan's chest.

His runs of SVT and bradycardia didn't change for a moment but suddenly it changed to a normal sinus rhythm. Megan stared in wonderment.

"He's still gonna have the odd run of SVT, just keep your eye on him" Lydia muttered "I'm going on my break"

Lydia wandered out of the room slightly dazed, being watched by the rest of the ER. Megan looked from the door back to Dylan still in shock.

...

It didn't take long for the gossip to travel up a couple of floors and reach the surgical nurses station, and it took even less time for Mark, Callie and Arizona to take a trip down to the ER.

Lydia watched him rest unconsciously with her hand too her mouth as she subconsciously bit her finger. Her eyes were set in a seething stare and didn't move away from his form. They'd removed the tube from his throat once they felt his body had regained enough strength to breathe on its own. He seemed to be recovering quickly. He inhaled a sudden deep breath. Lydia's eyes widened. She watched as his eyes began to slowly open. Before moving she glanced to the door of the room, having closed most of the blinds apart from those at the door and to the sides of the door. Slowly she stood from her seat and crossed over to his bed. Cautiously he watched her.

"You overdosed" she said simply and coldly.

"You get my letter" he asked her with an evil smirk. No words left her mouth. She simply slammed her hand down against his neck, restricting his airway. He tried to fight her hand away but he was still quite sedated.

"If you ever bring that up again, ever. I will kill you, she's dead" Lydia said quietly, though her tone was threatening and the lightness of her voice only meant it was laced with danger.

"Sh-she isn't though aaaghh is she" he croaked through her grasp. Lydia let go of him. He panted heavily against the bed though held a smirk on his face. "I know, and I'm going to find her"

It was with that that Lydia jumped onto the bed and began to claw at his face.

"Woah!" Mark yelled as he entered the room, Callie and Arizona hot on his heels. He watch for a minute as Lydia clawed at Dylan's face but intervened as Dylan brought his hand up to Lydia's neck and tightened his grip, making her choke. He pulled Lydia away lifting her against himself.

"What the" Megan gasped as she entered the room stepping around Arizona and Callie who were stood, mouths agape, at the door. Looking at Lydia who was still in a body grip by Mark, she saw how her usually cool headed boss glared threateningly at the man in the bed who was simply smirking at her as a small trickle of blood fell down his cheek where she had clawed at it. "Get her out of her" Megan ordered to Mark who complied, though moved her with difficulty. Lydia's eyes never left Dylan's.

Callie and Arizona followed them down the corridor, where the altercation seemed to have been missed entirely. Mark pushed Lydia in a small exam room and watched as she wandered to the other end of the room, fists clenched.

"You should have let me rip his throat out" she muttered.

"I was, until he had his hand on yours" Mark reasoned, calmness in him that he hadn't quite expected.

Arizona and Callie stood by the now closed door, watching them carefully just in case they needed to be separated like the week before.

"I want to talk to Arizona" Lydia said finally, not looking at the group.

Mark glanced around to Arizona in confusion who shrugged her shoulders.

" 'kay" he said quietly before walking out with an equally confused Callie.

"What is it honey?" Arizona asked quietly, stepping around to Lydia.

"This is for you" Lydia replied, handing Arizona a letter though not looking at her as she did so. "If anything...happens, you _have _to open it...I only trust you with this, I know you won't open it before the right time. You have to promise me you won't forget to open it though" Lydia finally met Arizona's curious gaze.

"Nothing's going to happen" Arizona said simply, her eyes scared and searching Lydia's for a confirmation.

"You don't know that" Lydia said simply.

"You're scaring me Lydia, what's happening? Talk about it, fix it...whatever it is let us know and we can help" Arizona half pleaded.

"If it was as simple as that I would in a heartbeat" Lydia touched Arizona's arm caringly.

Arizona pulled the young woman before her into a tight and loving hug.

"Why do I feel like you're gonna get yourself hurt?" Arizona asked, voice breaking as she tried to hold back tears of worry.

"I won't" Lydia gave her a light squeeze before letting her go. She pointed to the letter in Arizona's hand "don't forget"

"I won't" Arizona promised quietly.

Mark and Callie looked around to the doorway as the exam room door opened.

Arizona stepped out with a sigh followed by a softly smiling Lydia. She turned to Lydia who offered her a reassuring smile before rubbing the young girls arm and walking over to Callie.

"You okay?" Callie asked Lydia with caring and worried eyes. Lydia gave her a slight nod and a sincere smile. "Okay" Callie smiled warmly too her before she and Arizona headed back towards the elevators.

Mark turned back to Lydia "what was that about?"

"Oh nothing" Lydia shrugged her shoulders "thanks for stepping in there Mark" she replied sincerely. "I'm gonna get security and put Hackie on his case so I don't have to deal with him"

"Alright" Mark replied slightly reassured "you know as soon as I get a chance am kicking his ass right?"

Lydia smiled in amusement "of course- now I got to get back to work" Mark's beeper went off "and so do you, have a good day" she lent up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek lightly.

"See you later?" Mark asked with a smile.

"Maybe" Lydia winked to him before she walked off. He smiled after her shaking his head.

...

The rest of the day seemed to drag for Mark. He was torn between sneaking down and checking on her and simply leaving it, of course he chose the safe option and just trusted that someone would have the decency to tell him if anything had happened.

Lydia had stuck to her word and avoided Dylan's room for the rest of the day, although she monitored his case closely. It was at 8 o'clock that night when Hackie came up to her shaking his head, visibly irritated.

"What is it?" Lydia asked curiously as she popped a sweet into her mouth.

"Erm, Dylan, he's a real ass huh?" Hackie sighed as he read over his chart.

"Why what he do what he say?" Lydia seriously replied examining Hackie's expression.

"Nothing bad, well sort of bad he just discharged himself. I told him not to and explained the risks but he just ignored me" Lydia's expression was filled with shock. Hackie looked up to her and began to worry "I mean I did try and stop him but he wouldn't listen, should I have-"

"No I trust you, did he say where he was going?" Lydia asked slowly.

"A walk in the rain" Hackie shrugged.

"I'm going on my break, page me if necessary" Lydia hurried to her locker and opened it. A post it note fell out as she did so, she read it carefully. 'The entrance' it simply read, the writing all too familiar. With a sigh she shut her locker and took off her coat and scrubs, changing into jeans, a t-shirt and a leather jacket, before lifting out her motorcycle helmet.

"Where are you going?" Megan asked as she entered the lounge.

"To get a decent cup of coffee, want anything?" Lydia replied with a smile and a sigh.

"No thanks- you might as well not come back, everyone's sorted from that MVA and I can't see anything else coming in- you've only got an hour left" Megan suggested as she took a moment on the couch.

Lydia laughed slightly as she walked out the lounge "don't worry, I'll be back" she said in a mock terminator voice.

...

As she wandered through the vast entrance of Seattle Grace she spotted the thin blonde man, face paler than usual and marked with a red line across his cheek. A mark she couldn't help but smile at. Angrily he stuck his tongue into his cheek and approached her.

"Glad to see your back on your feet" Lydia snarled as he got closer.

"No more lies Lydia" Dylan snarled back.

"Don't know what you're talking about psycho" Dylan grabbed her arm and began to lead her towards the doors. "Get off, prick" she warned him coldly.

"Where is she?" he simply asked, eyes wide with anger.

"In the family section of St Mary's Catholic Crematorium, 3 spaces to the left of the big oak tree, 6 feet under" she replied, each word spoken slowly and harshly as tears formed in her eyes.

"You're lying! How can you lie like that?" he half yelled.

"I'm not, accept it" she replied quietly.

"Miami?" he said quietly.

"What?" she replied in confusion, shaking her head.

"Boston?" he continued.

"I don't know what you mean" Lydia shrugged crossing her arms.

"Which Aunt, or cousin, or whoever is she with Lydia?" he replied, voice laced with venom.

"Try Mom, Dad, Grandma, in heaven!" she yelled back.

Dylan shoved her to the ground and pinned her down by her shoulders.

"Tell me" he said quietly, dangerously.

Lydia simply looked at him, a small smile on her face "why can't you accept you murdered your own child"

Dylan yelled and struck her hard across the face.

"HEY!" Richard Webber yelled from up on top of the walk way. Hearing him yell Mark joined him to see what was going on.

"Murderer" Lydia sang softly to Dylan. He hit her again, and again before standing off her and dragging her to a standing position.

"You're gonna show me, or I'm gonna kill you, and find her myself. And you know I will" Lydia simply shook her head and smiled.

"Dunno what you mean" she sighed.

Dylan let go of her arms and began to turn away. He stopped in his tracks after a minute. "What was her name?"

"Your daughter?" Lydia replied with a snarl.

"No, that Aunt...the one in Colorado" he turned to face her, a smug smirk spread across his face. Lydia's eyes shot open. 'He's found her' she thought. "How could you lie so easily to me?" he shook his head as he began to back away "but I always knew the truth" he shrugged his shoulders and turned, sprinting through the doors.

For a moment Lydia stood there, a shiver running down her spine. How could he know?

"Lydia!" Mark yelled from the staircase.

She turned to look at him. Their eyes met and in an instant Mark knew that it was a look of goodbye. Lydia took off in a sprint through the doors. Before he could get to even where she had been Mark heard the sound of her bike pulling away and tearing through the car park.

"Mark?" Richard called, still on the walkway.

"The police, call the police" Mark yelled.

**I'm going to put the next chapter on straight away- this one is a little long in terms of the page so it's easier to break down but no waiting it's there for you now : ) thanks for reading!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Don't forget to read the previous chapter!**

They waited for what seemed like hours. The police had yet to announce any sightings of either Dylan or Lydia and neither had made any contact. In worry Mark had called Julia in the last hour who had decided to book the next flight out to Seattle.

Callie and Arizona had gone home but decided to return to the hospital with little Sofia in her carrier.

"I thought you went home" Mark said as Callie hugged him.

"We did" she replied quietly. "But we were going mad in that house so we thought we'd go mad here"

"Hey Mark" Arizona said caringly to him before pulling him into a loving hug. "She'll be okay" she whispered gently too him "she's a tough girl"

"Yep" Mark smiled to her "thanks Arizona" he placed a soft kiss on top of Sofia's head and stroked her back a little.

"So there's been no word at all?" Callie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing" Mark sighed.

"What are they doing? I mean they must have seen something" Callie muttered glanced over to two officers that were stationed outside the hospital. Mark tiredly shrugged his shoulders.

They'd been sat in the surgeons lounge for about an hour when Megan popped her head in quietly.

"Hey, sorry too-" she said quietly.

"No you're okay, come in" Mark assured kindly. The young resident entered the lounge.

"Has there been any word?" she asked softly.

"Nothing yet" he coughed.

Callie and Arizona offered Megan a soft smile as she looked over to them.

"She just said she was going out for coffee" Megan quietly began. "I told her not to come back, but she did that Terminator thing"

"What?" Mark laughed slightly at the thought "I'll be back"

"Yeah, just like that" Megan smiled for a moment but it dropped. "I need to get back downstairs, will you page me with any news please? I'm going insane"

"Sure, of course" Mark replied sincerely.

"Bye" she said quietly as she stepped out the lounge.

...

Dylan's arms were beginning to feel heavy, all feeling pouring out of them. He was having trouble breathing but his legs wouldn't stop walking. A sharp pain was in his back but he used it to motivate him, keep him awake. All around his eyes was pink and purple, tiredness and tears. As heavy as his eyelids were he didn't dare take his eyes off the girl in his arms. Her neck resting in the most awkward of ways on his arm leaving her head to dangle over the edge. Her arms were drooped by her side and her legs were draped over his other arm. It was safe to say that every part of her body that was visible was covered in some sort of cut or bruise. Her chest barely rose as she breathed from the weakness of her breath. He was surprised she'd made it this far. But there wasn't long to go now.

...

"Where are you going?" Mark asked the officer slightly annoyed.

"We're being called to an incident a couple of blocks away we won't be long" the officer impatiently replied. Mark followed him out of the building.

"You can't! What if they come back!" he shouted.

"Dr Sloan, calm down, we'll be back" the officer assured before sliding in the cop car with his partner and driving away.

Arizona and Callie followed him shortly, Arizona holding Sofia in the baby carrier.

"Mark come back inside" Callie sighed to him as he faced away from her.

"The sun's coming up" he said simply "and they're no closer to finding her, they could be in another state by now"

"They've sent out a picture to all the states Mark" Arizona assured. "They'll find her"

"Yeah but will they in time" he muttered before turning and walking towards the right of the building. Callie glanced to Arizona who simply nodded for her to follow him. Callie smiled weakly and followed him before Arizona turned back into the building and stood at the glass.

...

"Not long now Lydia" Dylan croaked to her. His steps were growing heavy as his body grew weaker, not helped by the weight of the girl in his arms. As she grew hypoxic her lips began to turn a sort of blue and her eyelids a deep purple.

...

"Mark where are you walking too, we're better staying inside, they'll be back soon" Callie began to try to reason.

"I can't just sit there Call" Mark replied frantically, he ran a hand through his hair.

"I know honey, I know...but there's nothing you can do" Callie whispered to him.

"There must be something" a helpless tear ran down his cheek.

...

"Look baby the sun's rising" Arizona whispered softly to a now awake Sofia. She pointed to the sky and took in the calm shade of blue it held. Someone at the end of the hospital entrance caught her attention. They were carrying someone. They were moving slow, and their footsteps were heavy.

As they slowly made their way up the concrete slabs towards the glass entrance Arizona could make out Dylan's face through the blood that had dried on it.

...

He was just a few metres from the entrance now. Dylan could make out a short blonde woman stepping through the glass doors, slowly, cautiously. Carefully he set Lydia down on the ground. He brushed a hair off her faced and looked guiltily up and down her body.

...

Arizona stood frozen watching as he laid Lydia down on the ground. She watched as he looked up and down what seemed like her entirely broken anatomy. Aware of the baby in her arms she didn't want to startle him. But she noticed how his own body had begun to fall limp as he released the weight of Lydia.

...

Never taking his eyes off her Dylan pulled a needle out of his pocket. He pulled the safety cover off it and took hold of her arm. He thought he heard the woman speak but nothing she could say would help Lydia now anyway. Slowly he injected the fluid in the needle into her vein. "You'll be okay now" he croaked tiredly. "We both will". He looked up to the woman who was stood in front of him. Her mouth was moving in a strange way, like she was screaming, and the baby in her arms was crying. They were crying, they were screaming. But as the world fell away from him no sound made its way to his ears, and gradually neither did any sight.

...

Mark and Callie ran around the corner, followed closely by two security guards.

"He injected her, he injected her, he injected her" Arizona repeated through hysterical tears. "I couldn't stop him, the baby" she continued.

"Oh my god" was all Callie could manage as Lydia came into view.

Mark stopped in his tracks, eyes wide at the sight in front of him.

...

"Holy shit is that Lydia?" Megan exclaimed as they wheeled her into the ER. "Oh my god, trauma 2 NOW, get EVERYONE DOWN HER" she yelled. "What happened?"

"We don't know" Callie replied, fear laced in her voice as it shook.

"Oh jeez, we got a tension pneumo on the right, multiple rib fractures, there's glass here in her thigh I think it's punctured the artery, severe head trauma we need Shepherd down her now!" Megan yelled.

Mark, Callie and Arizona stood bewildered in the trauma room as the ER doctors and nurses ran around to Megan's yells and screams.

"I NEED YOUR HELP" she yelled to Callie for the third time. Callie hadn't even registered her words. "TORRES!" she tried again.

"Wh-what?" Callie gasped before stepping forward.

"Chest tube tray" Megan called to a nurse.

"What are we gonna do about these bones- call CASSIDY we need an ATTENDING HERE RIGHT NOW" she yelled to a passing nurse.

"Alright, we got...we got so many broken bones" was all Callie managed.

"You've dealt with worse" Megan sighed "come on Torres what do we do?"

"We wait for Shepherd, okay we need a portable CT" Callie began to run off her own orders as Megan dealt with the other half.

"Where's that ultrasou- thanks" Megan pressed the machine to Lydia's stomach "alright we got fluid in the abdomen, possible ruptured spleen, page Webber, page Bailey, page everyone!"

"She's in SVT!" Callie yelled. "Holy shit no she's not, Bradycardic what?"

"Was she injected with anything?" Megan asked looking around. "I can't make out a mark from all the cuts"

"Yes" Arizona yelled "yes yes he injected her yes" she replied hysterically through tears.

"Shit" Megan muttered.

"What?" Callie asked worriedly "why's she having this?"

"He gave her his cocktail I need to make the antidote" Megan pinched the bridge of her nose in thought "alright I think I know how to make it" Megan began to collect together the solution from memory, not quite sure of the correct measurement but using what she did know to help her. "Please work" she whispered to herself. "Someone get me the crash cart" she openly ordered.

"She isn't crashing" Callie asked in confusion.

"Just watch" Megan replied reassuringly. She took a breath before plunging the needle into Lydia's heart.

"Holy shit" Callie gasped looking at Megan in shock.

"Charge the crash cart to 100" Megan said to the nurse standing next to her. "Alright" she muttered to herself. "Please work, please work...alright" she stepped forward with the paddles "clear!" she shocked Lydia's chest.

They watched the heart monitor. The room filled with people, all holding their breath. For a moment she remained in SVT, her heart racing at a dangerously high speed. But it suddenly stopped, and she was at a slightly normal rate though combined with the multitude of injuries and dropping blood pressure.

"Nice work Ascott" Callie gasped.

"Mm" was all Megan uttered as she began to work on Lydia again. Callie watched her for a moment appreciating her concentration and motivation as she felt it pull her out of her own shock. They were going to save Lydia. "Her eyes are opening"

"What?" Mark muttered stepping forward and close to her bed.

Lydia's eyes rolled around as she tried to find focus in the room. There was only one thing on her mind "A-A" she tried to speak.

"Don't talk honey" Callie whispered to her.

"Z-Z-O" she continued.

"Arizona?" Callie finished with a look of confusion.

Lydia blinked.

"Yes?" Callie repeated.

Lydia blinked again.

"Arizona come here" Callie ushered the now calmed woman over to her.

"Lydia" Arizona said softly as she came to the top of the bed.

"Le" Lydia choked. "Lett"

"Letter?" Arizona asked quietly.

"Op-open" Lydia breathed before her head suddenly fell limp and her eyes drooped shut.

"Woah her blood pressure just fell way too low, we need to get her stable" Callie ordered. Megan nodded, confident now in the woman before her.

"How is she?" Derek asked frantically as she rushed into the room.

"Not good" Callie replied.

Bailey, Teddy, Hunt all followed in quickly and began to assess her. Megan stepped back from the scene and watched the surgeons with a helpless expression.

Hackie entered the room hurriedly "we need your help" he called to her.

"Okay" she replied quietly before rushing after him.

"He won't stabilise, we've been trying everything for half an hour now, what should we do?" Hackie explained.

As her eyes fell on the patient she stopped dead in her tracks "call it" she said simply.

"Are you sure?" Hackie asked worriedly "that may not be the best idea"

"What? You tried, it's been half an hour... you aren't getting anywhere. His heart won't start. Call it" Megan said finally before leaving the room with a sigh and running her hand through her hair.

As she walked down the corridor she was just in time for the surgeons rushing Lydia out of the room and down the corridor. Richard Webber was following, he glanced back.

"Ascott! Come on!" he yelled. Megan looked at him in confusion before following quickly.

When they got upstairs the Chief took Megan to one side "go to the gallery, I wouldn't normally let you do this until you start your surgical rotation but these are different circumstances and she'd want you up there. Go go go"

"Okay Chief" she replied slightly bewildered.

As she got to the gallery she found Arizona and Mark were already sat in there. Though the room filled quickly once she had taken her seat at the back.

"How can she survive this?" Mark asked Arizona, looking to her with lost and hollow eyes.

"She's strong, she will" Arizona comforted him, placing an arm across his back and pulling him tight against her. "And we got our other girl in there and she's not gonna let a thing happen to her" she added confidently.

"Start the clock" they heard someone say.

Such damage, so many injuries, at this rate it would take a miracle. But Seattle Grace's finest doctors may just be able to conjure up a miracle for tonight. At least they hoped they could.


	14. Chapter 14

**The Letter. The Sister. The Detective.**

After Lydia's surgery, which seemed to last more like days than hours, Arizona took herself to an empty on call room. With a sigh she slumped on to one of the bottom bunks and pulled the letter from her pocket. Lydia's surgery had been cut short, the stress of the procedures too much for her body to handle so they decided to continue the next day. She certainly wasn't out of the woods yet, but something told Arizona that she was going to be fine, that in the second part of her surgery she'd pull through, and this letter wouldn't matter because the secrets it held could be dealt with by a perfectly well and healthy Lydia herself. 'You promised though' Arizona countered in her mind, to which she closed her eyes in thought. 'She trusted you' Arizona sighed and opened her eyes, staring intently at the letter for a couple of seconds before turning it over and running her nail along the opening. Her eyes glanced at the door checking no one was there before she eased out the enclosed notes. The first item she came across was a hospital form, with 'NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital' written across the top. She put that to the side and lifted up the note to read.

Arizona,

Enclosed is a form from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where I worked and where I was last admitted... look closely at the form, you will see the name Stacey Alder my OB/GYN. Next you will see Eleanor Louise Dixon, my daughter. She is hidden and safe, only me, the OB/GYN and the nurses that delivered her know of her existence- apart from my aunt whom she lives with in Colorado. The letter I got the other night was this very medical form...somehow he got hold of it. I'm not sure if he knows of her whereabouts but I called my aunt Elizabeth to let her know. Should anything happen to me you must call her, should Dylan find out you must let her know so we can move Ellie. I trust you with this more than anyone. Please, please don't tell a soul- and destroy this letter and that form.

Thank you,

Lydia

Denver, Colorado 303-472-1078

Arizona read the note twice before reading over the hospital form. She read each detail 'Sex: Girl' 'Name: Eleanor Louise Dixon' 'Mother: Lydia Serena Dixon' 'Father:N/a'.

"Fuck" Arizona simply sighed before placing a hand to her forehead.

...

Mark was sat stiffly at Lydia's bedside, his hand carefully covering hers. Part of her face was covered by plastic tubing to help her breathe, and the sight and sound of machines surrounding her was almost too much for Mark. This was his job, this was what he knew. The machines had never bothered him before.

"I don't know if you can hear me..." he began quietly, moving slightly to see her resting eyelids, just in case they moved. "...but I want you to know that you're okay, alright?" he paused for a moment to see if there was any reaction. "I think your sister will be here soon" 'that ought to wake her up' he thought, but when it never he sighed "sorry...I don't know why you went after him...but your reasons must have been good, whatever they were"

There was a light tap on the door making Mark turn around. He was met by the soft caring eyes of Callie whom he nodded to. She entered quietly, eyes instantly falling on Lydia.

"I'm gonna take Sofia home, why don't you come? Get changed" Callie suggested softly as she rested a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I don't want her to be alone" Mark replied sadly, his voice slightly hollow.

"Well Ascott's outside, she'll sit with her and Arizona's been roped into a case so she's gotta stick around for a while anyway...she's got family here Mark she'll be fine. You on the other hand need to get home and take a shower 'cause you smell" Callie lightly teased.

He turned to her with an incredulous expression "I do not smell" he replied seriously. "Guy that looks as good as me could never smell" he added as he turned his gaze back to Lydia.

"Mm well, you haven't got me fooled...you'll only be an hour Mark, she'll be okay" Callie gave his shoulder a light squeeze and he nodded. "Alright, I'll wait outside"

He watched Lydia for another minute or so before lightly warning "no funny business while I'm gone". Carefully he stood from his seat and left the room. Ascott was stood at the window and glanced round to him as he left. "Page me if there's a change?"

"Of course" the young doctor replied sincerely, before taking a seat next to the bed.

As they were leaving the ICU the caught Arizona with some charts.

"Mark, how is she?" Arizona asked quietly to him with a sympathetic smile.

"She's fighting" he said simply "sorry you've got roped into a case"

"Oh I'll be glad of something to keep me busy" she smiled in response.

"Give me a text when you're done" Callie said to her sweetly before offering her a soft loving kiss.

"Of course" Arizona replied with a soft smile. "I'll keep checking on her and let you know of any change" she added, more so to Mark.

"Thanks Robbins" he gave her a light smile. To which she offered him a loving hug. He smiled slightly at the gesture along with Callie who watched them adoringly. "Come on then Torres let's take that shower" Mark sighed.

"Woah" Arizona replied "let's do what?"

"He means he'll be in the shower, not me with him" Callie laughed slightly and rolled her eyes.

"I know" Arizona shrugged slightly and began looking at her charts, avoiding Mark and Callie's slightly amused gaze. "Catch you kids later"

"Bye" they both replied tiredly and weakly.

...

"I can't believe you're here like this" Megan began, softly quietly "yesterday morning you were fine, we were joking about Hackie and Daniels...How could this have happened to you?...How could anyone hurt you?...You're so smart and kind and giving and you do so much...I'll never have a teacher like you again...you can't give up fighting...we need you...I need you...we all need you...and all the lives you're going to save, they need you...I know you're my boss but you're my friend too...you'll be at my wedding...my baby's christening...my 30th birthday...you can't give up fighting because I need you there...giving up is not an option...and I watched you in that gallery today, and I'll watch you tomorrow too because that's what you'd want...you want us to learn and learn again just like you did...but I could only hope to be a doctor like you, some days I feel like I'm just scraping by...sometimes it feels as though I'm borderline and there's an ER full of docs who are ten thousand times better than me, and I'll never be as good as them..."

"If she was awake she'd probably laugh at all you just said" Arizona said from behind her. Megan jumped slightly at the voice, not realising the blonde was there "sorry to be listening in"

"No it's okay, Dr Robbins" Megan replied looking back around to Lydia.

"Please, call me Arizona...you're her favourite you know" Megan laughed slightly and looked back to Arizona "you are you know, she really admires you...sometimes you're all she talks about" Arizona offered the young doctor a little smile "she'll kill me for telling you all this mind, but you are...you'd be amazed what you residents do for us attendings, there's some days that you just amaze us...days where you make us realise what we do is worth it...it has meaning...and for her you're that girl...and as for you being borderline I can tell you myself you are an excellent doctor, I've seen you at work Megan, you're a natural" Arizona smiled softly before glancing to Lydia "I imagine you'll be just as great as Lydia here one day, how she's accomplished what she's accomplished though I will never know"

"Mm" Megan agreed quietly "a quiet mind, that's what she told me helps...she just clears her head out and the most important thing is right there, the answer...she must have photographic memory though...she gives us these case studies from her previous patients and they are so detailed you wouldn't believe, apart from identities and things like that of course..."

"Her sister is an excellent surgeon, I worked with her in New York once, precision and skill like nothing I've seen before, and she's just like Lydia- maybe not in looks but certainly in manner"

"Do you know why it is Lydia doesn't do surgery?" Megan asked curiously.

"She prefers Emergency Medicine, which is why she's getting her OR, and her own team which she is more than proud to have you on I assure you, it'll be a fantastic opportunity for you" Arizona said softly.

"I've considered doing surgery in the past, but it's so cut throat and then you have to pick specialities, it's a bit too closed off for my liking, no offence"

"No I get it, that's Lydia's reason too- doing just Cardio, or just Neuro sounded boring, she said she wanted small pox and strange diseases along with gruesome traumas and whatever else she can get her hands on" Arizona laughed slightly at the thought.

Megan smiled "mm that sounds right"

"Well I gotta take a kid down to CT, I'll be back in an hour or so"

"I'll keep an eye on her" Megan promised softly.

Arizona gave her a slight though caring smile before leaving. Once she was gone Megan smiled to Lydia slightly.

"I knew I was your favourite" she said quietly.

Around half an hour later the sound of quick heels against the corridor and Richard Webber's voice distracted her from Lydia watch. As she looked to see what was making the noise she was met by the frantic eyes of a tall blonde lady. The lady's hair was a longish bob which framed her pale face. She wore a stylish beige coat and what seemed like a smart suit underneath it along with killer black heels. The chief seemed to be quickly explaining something to her. Just before they reached the door Megan stood and moved to beside the door.

"Oh my god" the woman said, her voice thick with worry. Megan caught a hint of a New York accent and figured it was her sister.

"They're going to continue operating tomorrow" the chief quietly explained. He glanced to Megan who silently left the room and stood at the nurse's station looking over some charts.

"Look at her face" the woman whispered heartbroken.

"Julia, I'm sorry" the chief replied comfortingly.

Julia shook her head slightly as she tried to force back tears. "What time are they going to operate tomorrow?"

"We aren't sure yet" he responded quietly "I'll let you have a minute, I'll come check on you in a little while" he added.

"Okay...thanks Richard"

Quietly he left the room giving Megan a slight smile as he did so which she returned.

Megan watched Julia for a couple of minutes as she settled down in the seat next to the bed. She noticed how smart and classy she looked, the way she held herself, obviously from money. She noticed the lack of similarity between her and Lydia apart from their pale skin and height. The lady was obviously older than Lydia, maybe mid forty. After a while she slowly stepped back to the room. She tapped lightly on the open door.

"Excuse me, Dr Dixon" she said quietly. Julia turned around, her eyes tired and face lost. "I was going to get some coffee, would you like one? You've had a long flight"

"Er no, I'm fine...thank you" Julia replied politely, eyeing Megan carefully.

"Okay" Megan turned to walk away.

"You must be Ascott" Julia said softly to her. And had Lydia been awake she would have thought it was Lydia that had spoken.

Megan turned back around "erm yes, how..."

"Lydia told me, you're her favourite" Julia replied simply. "She isn't easy to impress, easy to entertain, but not impress...you must be good" Megan didn't know how to reply "you worked on my sister?"

"For a bit..." Megan replied quietly, recalling being taken to Dylan's aid instead.

"Richard seemed to think you saved her life" Julia watched Megan with a slight curiosity.

"Well...I knew how to fix her heart rate, I fixed her when she first came in"

"What do you mean fix?" Julia asked. Megan began to feel slightly intimidated by the interrogation and simply froze. Julia examined her behaviour for a moment then sighed "sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out...I just want to know what happened...I know nothing"

For a moment Megan watched her carefully. She glanced to Lydia for a second then back to Julia "do you want me to explain to you what happened?"

"If you could" Julia replied, a hopefulness in her voice.

"Alright..." Megan explained all that had happened from the moment she had got to Lydia. Julia nodded along with Megan's purely technical outline; it was almost as though they were discussing a case study instead of someone they knew.

"I see" Julia said quietly looking back to Lydia "then you went to _him_?"

"Only to tell them to stop" Megan said quietly, almost coldy.

Julia looked around to her watching her expression carefully before looking back to Lydia. Megan's beeper sounded for a moment before she quickly shut it off

"I have to go, is there anything I can get you before I do?" Megan asked softly.

"Thank you, no" Julia quietly replied, eyes not moving from Lydia.

Megan nodded slightly before silently leaving the room.

...

"Chief? You paged me?" Megan asked quietly as she entered his room. There was a detective by his side who Megan eyed carefully.

"Ah Megan, this is detective Anderson" Richard stood from his desk.

"Hello" Megan greeted quietly, the detective simply nodded to her with scrutinizing eyes.

"He's investigating the incident and the death of Dylan Lewis" Richard explained softly.

"You were the senior staff member on his case were you not?" the detective asked sternly.

"Well no, I am Chief Resident but I had been working on Lydia, when she was stable one of the other residents Hackie came and asked me to help on Dylan, but when I'd got there they'd already been trying to resuscitate for over half an hour and his heart had shown no sight on restarting...typically after this period of time we stop any attempts to bring the patient back and call the time of death, which is what I told Hackie to do upon my arrival" Megan explained quietly though confidently.

"So you feel you everything was done to help Dylan"

Megan glanced to the chief impatiently at the detectives question "before my arrival I can't account for what was done to save Dylan, but when I arrived the facts that were put before me indicated that attempts to save his life would be pointless and they should stop, as is what happens in many cases where the patient is unresponsive after half an hour"

"You don't think that the people working on Dylan were maybe biased following the earlier incidents of the night"

"I have faith in the ER staff that they would approach every patient professionally and do their best to save a life, however I wasn't there for the most of his time in the ER so I couldn't possibly account for the actions of the ER staff before my arrival at his room"

"Okay, thank you Miss Ascott" the detective replied simply, holding a stern gaze with the young doctor.

"That's all thanks Megan, you can take the next two days off if you like" he added with a sympathetic smile.

"I'd like to stay and watch the second part of Dixie's surgery"

"Of course, get some rest though first and go home, we are expecting to operate at 6pm" he added kindly.

"Okay, thank you Chief" Megan offered a small smile before leaving the room.

As she walked down the corridor she threw her head down sighed shaking her head slightly. She came across Hackie as she walked along.

"Hey, I just got paged to the chief, got any clue what this is about?" he asked worriedly.

"He's with a detective they're investigating Dylan's death and the entire incident" she tiredly explained.

"What? Why" Hackie asked worriedly.

"You'll be fine, I explained that ER staff are professional and treat everyone the same, there's nothing suspicious about his death and you were still trying well after the half hour mark...the detectives a dick though but don't let him intimidate you Hackie"

"Uh...okay" Hackie replied, voice shaking slightly and his expression switching to one that made him look like he could throw up.

**I love reading your reviews, so glad you're enjoying the story thus far! There is still sooooo much that's going to happen! Let me know what you think about this little addition, thanks AB**


	15. Chapter 15

At 6 o'clock that day the gallery once again filled. Megan sat at the front with Karev next to her. On the other side of her sat Julia who watched as the surgeons began to prepare Lydia down below. Her eyes were thin with thought and watched carefully at each doctor's movements. Down in the OR Cristina frequently glanced up to the woman, although caring deeply for Lydia she was still distracted by the presence of the world famous surgeon- a fact which a nervous Meredith noticed from within the gallery.

"Let's start" Derek instructed after a moment.

Following numerous scans at tests that day they discovered that there was a bleed in her head that needed to be fixed immediately, so the main bulk of the surgery was focused on that. However Callie worked carefully on her legs after fixing the fractures and breaks in her arms the day before. It was too early to tell if more surgery would be needed in the future but for now her legs and brain were the most worrying problem.

...

Outside of the surgery in one of the on call rooms Arizona sat with her phone in one hand and the note in her other. She sighed slightly before typing in the number. It had been a busy day and this was the first opportunity she had to make the phone call, which unfortunately fell around the same time they had began to operate on Lydia again.

"Hello" a cheerful female voice answered the phone.

"Hi" Arizona replied, suddenly unsure of what to say. Realising she had created an awkward silence she continued talking "my name's Arizona-"

The woman cut her off "Oh god, what's happened? Is he coming" she asked, voice thick- though there was a slight strength to it.

"No er- is this Elizabeth?" Arizona asked realising she hadn't even confirmed it was the woman.

"Yes, this is Arizona Robbins right?" the lady cautiously asked.

"Yeah- er how did you-"

"Lydia called me earlier in the week, told me if I got a call from you then...well then something had happened..." the woman replied quietly.

"Er well yeah..." Arizona was lost where to begin "...there was an-"

"Who's on the phone?" she heard a young voice shout from the other end.

"Ellie-Louise! You scared the life out of me" Elizabeth worriedly chided.

"Sorry" the girl laughed "is it Mommy?"

"No it's an old friend she's trying to tell me something important, go play with your lego pieces I'll be in in a bit" the woman sighed as she calmed down again. Once the girl was out of ear shot she spoke down the receiver again "that girl has me at my wits ends" she said quietly. "Sorry, go on"

Arizona smiled slightly as she began to wonder what the little girl looked like. But a frown soon formed as she began to explain what happened "there was, well we don't know what happened but Lydia's been hurt very badly, she's in surgery right now"

"Oh my god" Elizabeth replied "did...he do this?"

"I think so yeah, he was there...he died yesterday" Arizona added awkwardly.

"Oh" the aunt simply breathed "so is she going to get better? Is Julia there?"

"Erm, it's hard to say...she has a lot of injuries...and we've found a bleed on her brain...she's attached to a machine to help her breathe, yeah she flew to Seattle"

"I see..."

"She has a lot of friends here, we're all looking out for her...everyone is trying their best to help her through this" Arizona tried to lighten her tone with her words, anything to offer hope over the phone for the woman.

"Thank you, I'm not a medical person...to be honest for such a big family it's only Julia and Lydia that are, but I have faith in you... I don't know what's going to be best for Ellie though" it almost sounded as though she was asking Arizona for advice.

"Erm" Arizona awkwardly replied.

"I mean there is no danger now... maybe it's time Julia knew, I mean she has Ben... and I'm just the Great Aunt... it was never a long term arrangement"

"Um I don't know" Arizona bit her lip.

"No...I know...alright thank you for calling and letting me now, I'll call Julia later" Elizabeth sighed.

"Okay, hope everything is gonna work out" Arizona added unsure what else to say.

"I have faith it will" Elizabeth replied, a hopeful smile in her tone. "Bye"

"Goodbye" Arizona replied quietly before putting the phone down. She let out a long sigh before lifting herself from the bunk and hurrying to the gallery.

Quietly she snuck into the back and took a seat next to Meredith.

"How's our girl doing?" she whispered quietly, the gallery unusually silent.

"So far so good" Meredith smiled hopefully.

Arizona glanced down to the front row. Mark was sat uncomfortable on the end with Julia at his side sat stone still, her arms crossed over her chest. Next to her Megan was sat watching the operation with great focus and concentration. 'Come on Lydia' Arizona willed in her mind 'your little girl's waiting for you'.

...

As Derek began to close her up everyone began to let out sighs of relief and quiet murmurs of conversation began to fill the gallery. Arizona and Meredith exchanged hopeful smiles before looking back to where Julia sat. Mark exchanged some words with her before placing her arm around her shoulder. The woman didn't seem to lean into his touch, but she didn't move his arm either. Megan had barely moved an inch, her eyes still following the procedure as they closed Lydia.

With a sigh Julia lifted her phone out of her pocket and looked at the screen.

"Strange" she muttered to herself.

"What is?" Mark asked quietly, eyes still gazing into the OR, arm still comfortingly around Julia's shoulder.

"Nothing" she replied dismissively, but in realising her harshness turned and looked at Mark.

"It went well huh" he whispered, eyes searching Julia's for some indication of her thoughts.

"She ran into less complications than I had expected" Julia simply replied before looking back to the OR, almost too scared to engage in eye contact with Mark.

"Mm" he shortly replied, turning his own attention to the OR. "It's frustrating not being in there" he whispered.

"You'd want to operate her" Julia asked him curiously, eyes meeting his again.

"No, I guess not..." he replied after a moment's thought.

Julia turned her attention back to the OR. After a couple of minutes she noticed Megan taking down notes out of the corner of her eye. Carefully she shifted to read some of the girl's notes. 'Very in depth' she noted 'precise, notes showing a wide base of knowledge. I can see why she's the favourite'. A light filled Julia's eye as she turned to face the OR again. She was always so proud of the woman Lydia had become, and even more so proud of the talent she had as a doctor. 'Talent that would be better used as a surgeon' Julia added in her thoughts, she forced herself not to roll her eyes in addition.

...

Once out of the gallery Julia hurried off with her phone.

"You did great honey" Arizona smiled, placing a loving hand on her girlfriend's back.

"Just glad to have them all fixed and sorted now" Callie sighed in relief stretching her arms behind her head. "I guess it's the waiting game now huh"

"Yup" Arizona replied less than cheery.

"Yo Torres" Mark called slightly as he approached her having been giving Derek 'man-hugs' and handshakes for the past few minutes.

"Please don't pull me into a bear hug, my body's too tired" Callie pleaded with him backing away slightly.

"You were amazing in there" he offered her a loving smile before enveloping her in a tight hug. "I mean you got skills Torres but you pulled out all the stops, thank you" he began kissing the top of her head.

"Ew gross, stop" she muttered.

"Kissing the head of a freakin' genius" he emotionally spluttered as he pulled away.

"Er kissing the head of my girlfriend Sloan" Arizona laughed. "Watch it"

"Sorry Blondie" he ruffled her hair leaving her slightly disgruntled. "Alright, I'm gonna go sit and wait for her to wake up then" he smiled faithfully to himself before wandering off.

Callie and Arizona watched him with worry. "He understands that it may not be as simple as that right?" Arizona asked slowly. With a sigh Callie shrugged her shoulders.

...

Closing her eyes Julia ended the call with Elizabeth. Part of her was annoyed, part of her was upset and part of her was overjoyed that she had a niece. Standing outside of Seattle Grace she let out a long exasperated sigh. 'You should have been there' she chided herself. 'You could have done something'. A single tear fell down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away. Swallowing she turned and entered the building, her steps slow as she wandered back to Lydia's room. Things were so much more complicated than she had ever imagined, 'how could this be happening to my little sister'. Her eyes rolled shut for a second as she despondently walked through the hospital.

**Just a little one, sorry readers! AB **


	16. The One and Only

"I think she moved her eyes" Mark gasped excitedly, standing from his chair. Julia glanced up from her magazine to Lydia and then to Mark before shaking her head.

"You've been saying that since she got out of surgery" Julia muttered looking idly back to her magazine.

"It's been a week since her surgery it's very possible she will wake up" Mark argued in defence though his manner was almost childlike.

"Mm that much is true but you claim to see her eyes flutter every half an hour, maybe if you don't stare at her face you'll realise it's just your own eyes playing tricks on you...when was the last time you even slept" although taking an interest in him Julia's voice held boredom in it and an absolute disinterest.

"I slept last night, I'll have you know" Mark muttered back to her.

"Here?" Julia replied with raised eyebrows.

"Maybe" he looked to the side and crossed his arms. Julia allowed a small smile "besides she needs someone here for when she wakes up"

"Well I'm here most of the time and when I'm not you are or Arizona or Callie...why don't you go home and take a shower or something while I'm here" she placed her magazine down against the bed.

"But what if she wakes up" Mark asked her sadly, big puppy eyes gazing into her own.

"I'll page you" she quietly replied with a soft smile "you only live a few blocks away, if you ran you'd be here in well under five minutes"

"True" Mark shrugged his shoulders "alright I'll go but only for an hour"

"Two" Julia protested.

"One and a half" Mark bartered.

"Deal" Julia smiled softly to him and watched as he stood. Carefully he leant over and placed a gently kiss against Lydia's still badly bruised and cut forehead.

"Back soon kiddo" he whispered to her softly. Julia glanced to the side at this moment but quickly met her eyes with Mark's as he turned to her. "See you in a bit then" he smiled almost awkwardly to her.

"Bye Mark" Julia replied, a charming calm about the way she spoke and a glint in her eyes, almost daring, which brightened as the corners of her mouth formed a slight and tempting smile.

Mark gulped slightly as he turned to leave. He stopped in the doorway and smiled to himself 'she always knew how to get me'. Planting his own charming and dazzling smile on his face he turned to her, eyes twinkling as he stopped "it's been great to see you Julia, you haven't changed a bit" he winked to her before turning and leaving.

Once certain he couldn't see or hear her Julia placed her hand against her chest and exhaled the breath she had been holding, a smile playing across her features and the glint still in her eyes. 'Neither have you' she thought happily.

...

As he wandered out of SGH Mark felt his phone ring off in his pocket. He pulled the phone out and examined the caller ID, expression becoming confused as he read the unknown number.

"Uh hello?" he mumbled as he answered the call.

"Ah hello" a man's voice replied "is this uh Dr Mark Sloan?"

"Yeah, who's this?" he replied gruffly.

"I'm calling from Home Crest Estate Agency-" Mark shook his head.

"Okay dude I'm not interested in what you have to offer I-"

"No no I'm calling on for um Dr Lydia Dixon" Mark stopped on the pavement "I haven't been able to get a hold of her and she gave me your number as an emergency contact- do you know where I can reach Dr Dixon?"

"Wha? You're calling from an estate agency?"

"Yes, the contractors have been in touch about beginning work on Dr Dixon's home and have been hassling us week about trying to get into her home but the sale was finalised last week so this really isn't our-"

Mark shook his head and closed his eyes "Woah woah slow down pal, Lydia bought a house?"

"Yes Dr Dixon bought a home through us but sir-" Mark narrowed his eyes and shook his head again.

"Where's the house?" he asked impatiently.

"Queen Ann Hill" the man sighed in response, purposefully being short.

"Text me the details and the contractors number"

"Thank you si-"

"Yeah" Mark ended the call, highly disgruntled. With a sigh he turned slowly back toward the hospital with his shoulders slumped.

...

"Why are you back?" Julia asked, not attempting to hide her disappointment.

"Just got a call from some estate agent dude, she bought a house up on Queen Ann Hill" Mark paced slightly at the foot of the bed.

"Oh" Julia looked at him as if asking what his point was.

"Well she only just bought an apartment" Mark replied slightly frustrated at Julia's placid behaviour.

"I imagine she's bought a house to bring this...her daughter home" Julia sighed as she struggled with discussing the little girl.

"But..." Mark thought for a moment, still not used to the idea that Lydia had a child. The rest of the hospital hadn't been informed although Webber and Callie had since found out. "Yeah that makes sense... well the dude asked me if I'd call the contractors and give 'em a definite answer on whether they can start work?"

Julia gave him a slightly frustrated look "why are you asking me? I'm just the sister that knows nothing"

"Urgh" Mark groaned before walking out.

Julia rested back against her seat sighing and shaking her head slightly.

...

As he tiredly and grumpily trudged back through the hospital he ran into Callie and Arizona who both looked like they had just finished their shift.

"Hey what's up with you?" Callie asked, any of the usual playfulness in her tone replaced with genuine concern. Mark had noticed this ever since Lydia had ended up in the hospital and so tried to keep a positive expression on his face. He noticed also how Arizona turned her attention completely to them as Callie asked the question, eyes narrowing as she examined his expression for any clues.

"Just found out Lydia bought a house up by Meredith's gotta go deal with the contractors" Mark rolled his eyes.

"Oh" Callie and Arizona both seemed to relax considerably. "How's she doing? We were just gonna go see her"

"She's fine, still not woke up" Mark shrugged his shoulders feigning indifference to which they both rolled their eyes "hey you wanna come do a little investigating with me?"

Callie's eyes narrowed cautiously "what d'ya mean?"

"Come on it'll be fun" he smiled to them both, not too dissimilar to the cunning wolf in red riding hood. But they followed him out regardless, though clutched slightly to each other's arms.

...

"This is wrong" Arizona protested softly standing still in the middle of Lydia's apartment.

"Yeah- you're right we should look in the bedroom" Mark muttered as he shut a draw in the living room.

"No-" Arizona went to protest again her expression slightly impatient.

"Torres! Why are you checking in the kitchen?" Mark asked with confusion, ignoring Arizona's pouting form.

"Seeing if she's got a blender, ours broke this morning" Callie quietly replied before standing from her crouching position.

"You said it was fine!" Arizona turned to face Callie as she half shouted at her.

"Sorry" Callie shrugged her shoulders and smiled, trying to be cute.

"Will be" Arizona muttered under her breath trying to avoid Callie's stare. "Where'd Mark go..." Arizona and Callie's attention both turned to the bedroom door which was now open.

"Mark this isn't okay..." Callie sighed as she entered the bedroom. They'd never actually stepped into Lydia's room before although each of them had spent many nights in the apartment itself they had never been into this room. It was a light colour. A large bed filled the centre of the room and there were photographs all over the room in different frames and some stuck to the wall.

"This room is awesome" Arizona sighed as she looked around.

"Yeah" Callie smiled.

Both of their attention fell to Mark who was sat at the end of Lydia's bed with two photo frames in his hand. They glanced to each other before taking a seat either side of him. Arizona sitting on his right first noticed the picture in his right hand which was of a much younger Mark carrying a young Lydia in his arms, both of them wearing big smiles on their faces. Her attention turned to the other which she noticed Mark and Callie were staring quietly at. It was of Lydia, definitely a recent photograph maybe in the past month or so. She was lay on some grass with a little girl on her back, arms wrapped tightly around Lydia's neck and a big smile on her face. Arizona glanced back to the other picture noting how the little girl in each photograph could be the same person if it wasn't for the little girl in the more recent photograph having slightly lighter hair.

"Is that?" Arizona asked quietly.

"Yeah" Mark sighed back.

"It looks recent" Callie noted.

"The trip to that conference?" Arizona suggested softly.

"Probably" Mark muttered. He sighed and stood up replacing the pictures where he took them from, being watched by the concerned eyes of Callie and Arizona. "Look at this one" his voice held a slight amusement in it. They stood and joined him by a desk where he held another photograph. In it they saw a much younger Derek and Addison, arms wrapped around each other, Mark with Lydia in a tight hug both laughing, and a young Julia smiling at them all with a few other people surrounding them all laughing and smiling to the camera.

"Oh my god look at McDreamy's hair" Callie snorted.

"And I thought it was all styled and glossy now" Arizona shook her head in laughter.

"God he loved his hair in Med School, look at Addie's it definitely saw better days" Mark laughed "that was I think the first summer after our residencies Julia took us all out to the Hamptons we had a massive pool party and had a huge party at her parent's place. Look at how light Lydia's hair is, do you reckon she dyes it now?" they each shrugged their shoulders "she stayed up really late that night, kept us all entertained 'til she fell flat out asleep on Addison's knee"

"Aww" Callie and Arizona both smiled at the laughing little girl in the photograph.

"They were some funny times- oh my god" his eyes fell on another picture. Before he could attempt to hide it however Callie pulled it from his hands and began to laugh.

"Oh wow, ho ho ho" she laughed. The picture showed Mark fully dressed in a Santa Claus costume with Lydia dressed up as a reindeer.

"Oh can you wear that next Christmas please?" Arizona laughed stringing out the 'please'.

"No" Mark grunted taking the picture from them and placing it back down.

"So what are you looking for anyway?" Callie sighed looking around the room.

"I don't even know, she's too much of a...private person...I'd like to be prepared for any other houses or whatever" he muttered in response.

"Look at all of her journals" Arizona gasped.

"I know, she's already published more than half of what I've published...and I made freakin' cartilage" Callie sighed.

"I think she has photographic memory or something" Mark added quietly. "She was always remembering stuff as a kid, real good detail too like the exact place the spoon was or you know just stuff like that" he shrugged as he opened a draw. "Mmm" he made the noise disapprovingly.

"What?" Callie looked around to him.

"I guess I kinda knew" Mark lifted up a small bag of weed and placed it back down.

"Little Dixon's a weed head" Callie laughed.

"I can imagine it though" Arizona added with a slight smile.

Mark's beeper suddenly went off, followed shortly by Callie and Arizona. 'Lydia 911'.

...

As they ran to the ward they found the corridors eerily empty. They turned the corner to where Lydia's room was. Nurses and interns stood around outside the area. Worriedly they moved past them and toward the door. Derek stood over Lydia and Julia stood by her bedside holding the girl's hand. Mark couldn't see her face.

"Mark" Lexi turned to him. Meredith was standing next to her and offered them a slight smile. "She started like choking" Lexie quietly explained.

"She's coming round?" Mark asked in a daze. He stepped slowly into the room.

"Lydia if you can hear me I'm going to take the tube out now" Derek said softly to her. Julia moved to help him remove the tube.

As they removed it Lydia choked and spluttered slightly though it seemed to be a subconscious reaction with her eyes remaining heavily closed. They all stood for a moment expecting some sort of reaction from the girl but when none came they sighed quietly and one by one began to walk away.

"Her breath sounds aren't all that great, I don't know why really" Derek muttered, frowning in confusion. "I'll run some tests her lungs might have just filled up with fluid after such a big surgery"

"Pneumonia?" Lexie whispered to Meredith who nodded slightly.

"It's also possible that there may have been damage done to the lungs but it's difficult for us to tell anything at this stage" Derek added quietly.

"Thanks Derek" Julia said quietly to him as she took a seat next to the bed again.

Mark let out a long sigh and rubbed his face.

"I gotta go but I'll be back soon, Lexie I need you to run these tests" Derek whispered handing her a chart. He smiled to Meredith who smiled back to him before returning to watching Lydia for a moment.

"What happened?" Mark asked sitting down on the other side of her bed. Arizona and Callie moved to outside of the room next to Meredith and asked her the same.

"I was in just giving her some medicine and she started choking, but then she had this nasty run of SVT and I dunno, we dunno if she's half awake and had a panic attack or what...it was awful...but she wouldn't stop choking so Derek took the tube out...there was blood on it then, don't know if she's done a little damage when she's been choking" Meredith sighed.

"Did she open her eyes at all?" Arizona asked quietly.

"Nope" Meredith sighed.

"Maybe she's just waking up" Callie suggested softly.

Mark spoke after a moments silence "she doesn't look as bad without the tube" he muttered.

Julia didn't reply but instead sighed.

"You okay?" he asked caringly.

"She gave me a fright" she admitted quietly not taking her eyes off Lydia. It wasn't often Julia admitted her feelings and Mark didn't quite know how to reply.

"Mm she's always done that though" he smiled lightly.

"She certainly has" Julia's voice was quite stern.

"That doesn't sound too good huh?" Mark muttered, noting on the sound of Lydia's audibly crackly and sharp breath sounds.

"She wasn't well with her lungs as a baby" Julia stated simply.

"I remember" Julia looked to him as he spoke.

"You do?" she asked slightly warm.

"Of course, that night we babysat and sat up with her all night how could I forget" he smiled to her warmly.

"I had" Julia smiled to herself "I remember now though. She grew out of any problems though I think...by the time she was 14 she'd stopped seeing her consultant about it" Julia shrugged her shoulders. "Ben has quite bad asthma, I'm not sure if we moved here it would be that good a thing- with the humidity I mean"

"You've been considering it?" Mark turned slightly to face Julia.

"Over the past few days yeah...in saying that though New York isn't any better, all that polluted air, freezing cold winters and boiling hot summers can't be good for him" Julia stretched her neck slightly.

"How old is he now? 7?"

"Yeah, turned 7 er 3 months ago I think it was" Julia smiled slightly. "Lovely little boy, incredibly talented"

"Like his Mom" Mark winked slightly.

Julia rolled her eyes "extremely handsome, get's everything he wants, has everyone wrapped around his little finger- especially Lydia...she's been his best friend since he was born...he was so upset when she moved out here..."

"Does he know what's happened?"

"He knows she had an accident and isn't very well"

"Pfft accident" Mark shook his head slightly.

Julia eyed him thoughtfully "you don't actually know what happened, Mark" she said after a moment.

"Uh?" he replied looking to her with a raised eyebrow.

"Well I mean... her injuries aren't exactly indicative of an attack, are they? And they still haven't found that stupid motorbike of hers- she could have fallen off that...it could have been an accident...we don't know for sure, and we won't until she tells us" Julia's tone was soft and thoughtful, a strong voice of reason.

"Guess I hadn't thought of it like that" Mark grunted slightly "still an ass though"

"Yes he is...his parent's are still in town, they want to talk" Julia rolled her eyes "I've told them no, hopefully they'll fly back soon...to all the scandal and whispers...Manhattan's been buzzing about the whole thing apparently"

"Why" Mark laughed incredulously.

"As a Dixon" Julia rolled her eyes "I can't so much as breathe in Manhattan without someone writing about it or commenting about it...I guess that's what you get though...wish I could just be a surgeon"

"Please, you'd miss the house in the Bahamas and the house in the Hamptons not to mention the Chateau in Austria and the entire beach you own in Greece and-"

"Alright shut up" Julia raised her hand and smiled slightly "it comes with its perks, whatever...yes I'd miss those things" she shrugged her shoulders.

"Not to mention the fact that your crazy Grandmother ruled half of down town New York" Mark muttered cheekily.

Julia shot him a warning look "Mark" she chided.

"I'm just saying, Italian? Corleone? And the way she'd go on after a few drinks, there's no way she wasn't the Godfather, or Godmother" Mark laughed.

"Shut up, Grandma was not in the mafia- leave her alone!" Julia couldn't stop a small smile on her face.

"Yes Don Dixon" he laughed.

Julia shut her eyes and shook her head smiling slightly.

Lydia began to cough and splutter slightly. Her machine began to beep as her blood pressure dropped.

Standing up Julia placed a hand on the girl's forehead.

"Page Derek" Julia ordered quietly. Mark nodded and fiddled with his pager. "She's coughing up bloop" Mark's eyes shot to Lydia's mouth as she began to cough up small splatters of blood. Julia lifted the bed and began to wipe away the blood around Lydia's mouth. Mark and her exchanged looks of worry.

It wasn't long before Derek hurried into the room followed closely by Lexie.

"What happened" he asked as he placed the end of the stethoscope at different points of Lydia's chest.

"She just started coughing up blood, her BP dropped, she isn't awake" Julia replied, listing off what happened like it was any other patient.

"Alright, we need to take her to X-Ray, she's completely congested in her lungs I don't know if it's just fluid and what she is coughing up is from her throat- or if in fact the convulsions from her choking have opened up a wound in her lung" Derek explained to which Mark and Julia nodded wearily. "Alright Lexie" he nodded to the young doctor who smiled to Mark and Julia before helping Derek wheel her away.

Mark let out a sigh and rubbed his face before watching Julia carefully, her eyes full of loss as she watched them wheel Lydia away. After a moment she turned to face him looking innocently into his eyes before the weight of it all crashed into her and she fell against his body, face buried into his chest and arms clutching tightly at his side. His arms wrapped around her and his head resting her hair. He loved that smell, no one's hair had ever smelt as good as Julia's. And the tingling sensation he felt at each part of her against him was like nothing he had ever experienced. Especially now after years of being without it. Julia wasn't crying, she never cried. But to Mark this was the equivalent, and he knew that not many other people would be trusted in this way, would be allowed to comfort her like this, and it was in that knowledge he felt his spirits lift a bit, because to Mark she was still his love. The one and only.

**Let me know what you think! A little romance there! I've been trying to imagine some little moments with Mark and Julia and everyone at the Hamptons all those years ago, would be funny to do a spin-off of those wild months! AB**


	17. And so it begins

It was a slow night at Seattle Grace. Two weeks had passed since Lydia's accident, and in those two weeks she hadn't so much as twitched a finger. Each and every day she was met by dozens of visitors and gifts of sympathy. And each and every day an air of worry filled everyone's hearts as she appeared to make no progress. Sure her wounds were healing okay, the damage to her lungs was repaired, although she was still hooked up to a breathing machine, and most of the cuts on her body were beginning to heal, bar some of the nastier bangs and scrapes which somehow seemed as bad as the day she came in. But most worryingly her injuries weren't all that consistent with her current comatose state, there had been a bleed on her brain but Derek had managed to fix it immediately and he was certain there was no real damage caused by it. Mark's theory was that she wasn't asleep at all, she was simply trying to frighten everyone. However on this night he'd come to realise that wasn't the case at all.

Arizona lounged tiredly in the chair next to Lydia's bed. Julia had returned to her hotel room for a few hours sleep and Mark was caught in a surgery. With a yawn she stretched her arms up before rubbing her face.

"Oh Lydia" she said leaning forward and placing a gentle hand on the sleeping girl's. "Can't you just wake up? Just for a bit?" Arizona smiled her dimple smiled for a moment but let it drop as the girl did nothing.

Karev popped his head into the room "hey you want some coffee?" he asked Arizona softly.

"Oo yeah please" Arizona smiled to him as brightly as she could but exhaustion lingered in her eyes.

Noticing the exhaustion Alex stepped in slightly and looked over to Lydia "how is she?"

"Same ol' same ol', sleeping beauty" Arizona laughed slightly, eliciting a small smile from Karev.

"Do you think she can hear us?" he asked stepping slightly closer to the bed.

"Maybe, I dunno"

"You have a fat head" Alex tested.

"Karev!" Arizona chided though smiled slightly.

"Sorry, just wanted to see if it could wake her up, everyone's freaking out it's all getting a little intense" Alex shrugged his shoulders and turned to leave "I'll go get you that coffee"

As he left the room Arizona turned back to Lydia and smiled slightly. "You don't have a fat head, your head's pretty...and proportionate" A slight movement on Lydia's side caught Arizona's attention. "Did you just move your hand?" Arizona breathed in shock. Lydia's hand lifted slightly off the bed. "Oh my god- HOLLY" she called to the nurse at the station "PAGE THEM SHE'S WAKING UP" the nurse nodded and instantly began sending the pages off. Arizona stood and moved to the top of the bed placing a gentle hand above Lydia's head. "Sweetheart can you open your eyes?" she stopped for a moment and watched Lydia's eyes though there was no movement "I know you can hear me, just open them...if only for a second, for me, come on please"

For a moment there was no movement but then Arizona could see the muscles in her eyelids begin to twitch.

"What's goin' on?" Alex asked as he walked in the coffee.

"Shh she's waking up" Arizona whispered offering him a warning look.

Karev stopped by the door and seemed to hold his breath in anticipation.

"Come on Lydia open your eyes" Arizona half pleaded.

Suddenly a small tear leaked out of the corner of Lydia's right eye which Arizona quickly wiped away. Another fell from the left which Arizona wiped away again. Slowly Lydia's eyelids lifted revealing extremely watery eyes.

"You have a tube in your throat so don't try to talk" Arizona whispered. She'd expected Lydia to look at her as she spoke but Lydia's eyes simply stared down the length of the bed in a fixed gaze. "Do you understand? Blink once for yes" Lydia blinked once but didn't remove her gaze. Karev shot Arizona confused look which she returned before looking back to Lydia.

"Well hello there" Derek chirped as he entered the room, followed closely by the Meredith, Lexie and Cristina who were all smiling expectantly.

Arizona stepped away from the bed offering Derek a concerned look which he immediately spotted.

"She unresponsive?" he asked worriedly.

"No, but...you'll see" Arizona replied quietly.

"Lydia do you know where you are, blink once for yes?" Derek asked standing next to the bed.

Lydia blinked and looked out of the window to the rest of the ward though her eyes seemed to drift and not focus.

"Lydia can you see?" he asked stepping back slightly to examine her eyes. She blinked once again. "Are you sure" she blinked again and her eyes drifted back to the bed. He looked to Meredith who shrugged her shoulders. "Alright, so you went through a very bad trauma, you're still recovering, you've been asleep for two weeks" he explained sitting on the bed. Lydia's eyes drifted back out the corridor as though she wasn't interested. "Do you remember what happened to you?" After a moment's thought Lydia blinked once. She began to choke against the tube. "Don't try and fight it, do you want us to take the tube out now?" Lydia blinked once again, eyes still gazing out into the corridor. "Okay, Lexie can you help me?" Lexie stepped forward "it's going to be a little difficult for you to breathe at first and it'll take you a while to get used to it, you damaged your lungs quite badly, okay?" Lydia blinked once.

After they took the tube out she coughed weakly a couple of times before inhaling two deep and painful sounding breaths which both stimulated tears to fall down her cheeks.

"Alright honey" Arizona soothed, taking her hand and gently squeezing it. Lydia didn't squeeze back and continued to gaze blankly into space.

"Alright Lydia we need to check some of your motor functions" Derek stepped forward to the other side of the bed. "Now I want you to squeeze my hand" she gave it a gentle squeeze before letting go "and the same with Arizona's" she did the same, eyes remaining fixated. "Okay, do you think you can talk for me? I know it might be difficult for you with your breathing". Lydia closed her eyes slightly and let out a sigh before removing her hands from Derek and Arizona's and placing them at her side. Arizona and Derek exchanged looks before looking down at her "alright, we'll leave it there for now and I'll be back to check on you later"

"I'll be back in a minute sweetie" Arizona gave her arm a slight tough before following Derek out. "What's with the eyes?" she asked quietly.

"I honestly don't know, I mean she can see but...she seemed reluctant to talk maybe it's a social thing" he shrugged his shoulders "I'm going to look into it, I'll be back soon" he smiled and carried on down the corridor.

"Do you want some more water?" Lexie asked in an overly happy sort of way as she stood next to Lydia's bed. Lydia continued to look slightly away.

"I think that means no" Alex answered watching Lydia carefully.

"She isn't some puzzle Alex" Meredith rolled her eyes "she knows what we're saying and stuff"

"Then why do you keep calling her she" Cristina scoffed, to which Meredith offered her a scowl.

"Alright scram" Arizona ordered as she re-entered the room, extending her arm in the direction of the door.

"Bye Lydia" Lexie whispered offering her a sympathetic smile.

Alex glanced thoughtfully back to her before leaving.

"Bye" Cristina and Meredith said quietly in unison as they followed.

Once out of the room Arizona stepped toward the bed and sat next to her again. She carefully examined the girl's neutral expression and empty gaze before taking her hand in her own. Lydia's gaze shifted and moved more so in the direction of Arizona.

"Mark and Julia should be here soon" Arizona whispered after a few moments of being unsure what to say.

Lydia sighed sharply and painfully.

"Don't sigh sweetie" Arizona gave her hand a light squeeze. "Do you want some more pain relief?"

Lydia gave her head a slight shake. 'The first actual answer' Arizona thought.

"What what what?" Mark gasped as he rushed into the room. He stopped dead in the doorway as his eyes fell on Lydia. "Oh my god" his voice was thick as he spoke and he suddenly flung himself over the girl. Hugging her gently though covering her entirely.

"Mark your hurting her" Arizona whispered softly to him, nodding over to her hand which Lydia was squeezing tightly.

"Oh sorry, I'm just so glad you're awake" Mark pulled away as he spoke, a small tear on his cheek. He stopped for a moment to watch her as she continued to gaze emptily into nothingness. He looked to Arizona for an explanation but she shrugged in response with a small sigh. "Has Derek been to see you?" he asked after a moment. Lydia nodded slightly, almost cautiously.

"You know, you can talk Lydia. You didn't hurt your throat" Arizona smiled to the girl though she simply continued staring elsewhere.

Mark looked between them at Arizona's question. "Why isn't she talking?" Mark asked confused. Arizona raised her eyebrows as if to say 'she can hear you'. "Well what did Derek say?" he asked ignoring Arizona's expression.

"He'll be back later" Arizona impatiently sighed. Her beeper suddenly went off. "Urgh I gotta go, I'll be back ASAP" she assured giving Lydia's hand a light squeeze before standing. She was quite taken aback however when Lydia held on a little longer to her hand, as though she didn't want her to leave. But once she did Arizona left giving Mark a light touch on the shoulder.

"Hey kiddo" Mark sat forward and took Lydia's hand in his own. "It's great to see you awake again, you've had us all worried, you wanna see all the gifts people have got you! And there's always someone here, as you'll soon realise...all your friends have been here, family, everything" Lydia let out a weak sigh before looking down towards hers and Mark's hands. "I know things aren't going to be easy, but they'll get better" he promised.

Julia rushed into the room "I got here as soon as I could" she gasped. "Oh my god you're awake" she couldn't control the smile on her face. Without hesitation she leant over and began to gently kiss Lydia's cheek, a small tear falling down her own "I'm here now you're safe"

Lydia began to squeeze against Mark's hand. He looked over at Julia and could tell she was barely touching Lydia, and he quickly realised it was a different kind of pain Julia was causing her.

"Hey Jules" he said quietly. Julia turned to him "you're hurting her" he added softly.

Julia stepped slightly examining the girl before her "sorry darling" she whispered gently.

"Er" Mark began as Julia started to notice Lydia's odd behaviour "we're um having difficulties in the communication department" he said simply nodding to Lydia.

"What?" Julia narrowed her eyes at him in confusion.

"Well, the eyes don't make much contact and we haven't spoken yet" he strung his words out slowly, looking for Lydia for back-up.

Julia glanced back to the girl in the bed then back to Mark.

...

The next 24 hours were hell for Lydia, actual hell. Of course she was grateful for the support and love of all the people she knew but all she wanted was to talk to Arizona, 'the letter' she kept thinking to herself. In her hell however she was moderately entertained at the theories people had, and more so by the way people spoke as though she wasn't really there at all! Even Derek had his own theories, one being that she didn't know who she was! But that was always how Derek had been. It was nearly 24 hours at least when Arizona came back to visit her and once Mark left them alone for a moment she let out a long sigh.

"What I tell you young lady no sighing" Arizona said lightly, a playfulness in her tone. "I was talking to Derek, apparently all this no looking, no speaking stuff is psychosomatic!"

"Mm" Lydia surprisingly replied.

Arizona sat forward slightly "did you just say mm"

"Letter" Lydia whispered, eyes still gazing away.

"Letter?" Arizona repeated in confusion then she realised "has no one said anything?"

"What?" Lydia frowned slightly not understanding Arizona.

"I called your Aunt" she whispered careful to avoid any of the staff over hearing "she called Julia"

Lydia closed her eyes and sighed wincing with the pain and letting out a soft cry.

"Stop sighing" Arizona implored impatiently.

"Thank you" Lydia whispered to her.

"For?" Arizona asked quietly placing a hand gently atop of Lydia's head.

"Calling" the girl replied softly.

"Of course, could you do me a favour in return though" Arizona asked gently.

"Anything" breathed as she began to fall sleepy.

"Look at me" Arizona waited, frowning slightly as she saw no movement from Lydia.

For a moment Lydia didn't know what to do. She hadn't been in control of it, for some reason her mind was blocking her from looking at other people and taking them in. Had it not been for her deep curiosity about the situation with the letter she doubted that she would have ever spoken again. But that was for Arizona and this was for her too. So with all the strength she had in her Lydia began to force her eyes to face Arizona. They stopped at her shoulder and Lydia couldn't help but close them shut. But after a moment she opened them again, noting on every landmark of Arizona's face. Chin, mouth, nose. Closing her eyes once more Lydia exhaled a light sigh. Arizona waited her own eyes searching the closed eyes before her. As they opened the diverted to her cheeks but Lydia quickly shot them to meet Arizona's eyes. She couldn't control a gasp, her eyes widened. _What is this shock? _A wetness met her cheeks. _Am I crying?_ She noticed Arizona was too. _What am I crying for?_

"It's okay, it's okay" Arizona whispered through tears, placing her cheek against Lydia's.

_I don't feel sad though. I don't feel anything. That can't be right _Lydia thought as she stroked a tear off her own cheek.

"Arizona" her voice was croaky as she spoke.

"Yeah?" the blonde choked looking her straight in the eyes once again.

"I-I" Lydia couldn't find the words until they simply stumbled out of her mouth "why can't I feel anything?"

"Physically?" Arizona looked her up and down.

"Ee-motionally"

"Erm" Arizona was severely out of her zone, she was no shrink.

"I don't think this is normal" Lydia added, she wanted to be worried...but she didn't know how to be.

**I don't enjoy writing all this angsty sad stuff BUT things are about to heat up in the world of Lydia, Mark, and Julia if you know what I mean ;) and not to give anything away but Karev's gonna be getting a little action too! Thank you for your reviews! Let me know how you feel about where this is all going, I appreciate what you say so much : ) AB**


	18. He Found Me At Joe's

Lydia sat on the end of her bed gliding her finger across her phone. She'd been home for 9 weeks after being in the hospital for a month and Mark had bought her a touch screen phone to play with through the day. While she'd been in the hospital Julia had the house she'd bought decorated and fitted out the rooms so that her son Ben could stay and a room was set up ready for Ellie. Lydia looked up to a small knock on her door. A fairly short blonde haired boy stood in the doorway chewing his pyjama sleeve.

"Hey Benji" Lydia smiled to him and extended her arm so he could sit next to her on the bed. The little boy padded over and nestled into her side.

"What are you doing?" he asked quietly as she aimlessly glided her finger across the phone.

"Learning how to use this stupid phone" she giggled, Ben smiled slightly.

"Mommy's got an Iphone too" he offered with a smile.

"Mommy has better things to do than teach Aunt Lydia how to use pointless technology" Lydia muttered.

"I can show you, you know you can get YouTube on this right?" Ben asked, a twinkle in his eye as he looked up to her.

"Oh yeah and what are you watching on YouTube mister?" Lydia replied with a raised eyebrow.

"People falling off stuff and stuff like that, funny stuff" he shrugged his shoulders and began to tap through the phone while Lydia held it.

A few minutes later Lydia sat clutching her sides with laughter while Ben rolled across the bed laughing.

"Benny boy how do you find these things?" Lydia chuckled.

"I don't know" he laughed.

Julia stepped into the room smiling at the laughing pair.

"What are you two laughing at?" she asked curiously.

"Videos on YouTube" Lydia lifted the phone slightly.

Julia rolled her eyes "come on Benj, bed" she pointed to the young boy's room to which he nodded with a smile.

"Night Lydia" he gave her a kiss on the cheek before hurrying across to his bedroom.

"Night Ben" Lydia called after him with an amused smile.

"Are you going out tonight?" Julia asked, judgement clear in her tone.

"Maybe" Lydia shrugged her shoulders.

"Well let me know..." Julia stepped out of the room awkwardly. Lydia rolled her eyes after her.

Scrolling through her phone she found the number of the person she wanted 'Ascott'.

'Yo, we out tonight or what? ' she text.

Almost instantly she got a reply 'Jeez Lydia, 4 nights in a row? Take it easy gurl, and no I'm in tonight sorry honey xxx'

'Booooooooooooooooo' Lydia text back with a slight smile.

Ever since she'd woken up it had been obvious that Lydia wasn't herself. She never spoke of what happened, it was almost as though nothing had happened. Her approach to any physiotherapy or post operative treatment was always professional and robotic and she refused any sort of counselling point blank. Each day she researched and buried her head in medical journals, beginning to publish new material herself. Julia was impressed to say the least to see her sister working so hard. But by night she was eager to be out with friends and surrounded by people, and most notably intoxicated. A fact which worried Julia terribly as Lydia was still very much so in recovery.

Lydia lay back against her bed and rested the phone beside her. _I suppose another night out is kind of bad, and I am starting to feel tired and sore. _Her phone vibrating pulled her out of her thoughts.

Arizona: Hey how are you? x

After Lydia woke up Arizona had visited more times a day than anyone else. Lydia never told anyone else about how she felt in those first few weeks, or rather her inability to feel anything which seemed to be less of a problem as the weeks went on.

Lydia: Heyy, I'm fine just bored. How are you? x

Arizona: Fine, just sat watching TV with Sofia, Callie's on a late shift : ( should be home any minute now though : )! What have you done today? X

Lydia: Just research really, been trying to work this new phone : | was thinking of going out in a bit, you been in work? X

Arizona: Ooo, I hate touch screens they get me frustrated! Going out again? With whom? Yeah I got in at 5 though not too bad x

Lydia: Aw bet it was nice to have Sofia earlier today : ) Well Megan's in work...I might just go Joe's and see where the night takes me ;) x

Arizona: Oh well BE CAREFUL, and text me when you get in so I know you're okay! X

Lydia: I will haha, speak to you later x

Arizona: Have a nice night x

An hour later Lydia found herself perched on a stool at Joe's.

"Can I have another" she asked him softly with a light smile. He smiled back and nodded. "Thank you" she added as he handed her the drink. He nodded and smiled before heading off down the bar.

A tallish sandy blonde haired man with bright blue eyes was watching her from across the room. He smiled slightly and shook his head before approaching her.

"Dr Dixon" he greeted with a cheeky smile.

Lydia turned to see who was talking before a large smile formed on her face.

"No way, Ryan! What are you doing here?" she hugged him tightly and stepped back to look at him.

"I've moved to Seattle, I'm at Seattle Grace" he smiled.

"You look fantastic, oh my god" Lydia took in his broad shoulders and toned physique under his shirt.

"So do you" he replied softly "get prettier every time I see you" he added gently.

Lydia blushed slightly before sitting back down. He took the seat next to her.

"So how've you been? What brings you to Seattle?" she asked him, eyes slightly brighter.

"I've been good! A position opened up here in Paeds Oncology so I just thought why not, there isn't much elsewhere so yeah...what about you? How've you been?" he asked, although his tone was quite knowing, something that Lydia picked up on.

"Um..." she began quietly, looking around slightly, she'd never had to talk about it before "I've been okay...I er...I guess you've heard the gossip right?"

Ryan looked down at his hand for a moment and nodded before looking up to her again. "Yep" he added softly.

"Mmm" Lydia replied quietly before slowly sipping her drink.

"I came and saw you" Ryan announced softly.

"When?" Lydia asked slightly shocked.

"Well I started the day after... so I came and saw you all the time, when the coast was clear...I figured it best if I didn't have to explain myself a lot" he smiled slightly before continuing "but anyway, I knew you worked there and I was so shocked when I heard what happened...I visited you every night and then...well then you woke up and I didn't know what to do, I didn't want to overwhelm you so...I came a couple of times just to see how you were when you were sleeping" he smiled gently.

"That's so sweet, thank you" Lydia watched him carefully for a moment "I start back in a week"

"You do?" he asked visibly happy.

"Yeah! We should be...dinner buddies like at Med school" she smiled to him again.

"Dinner buddies, yeah okay...you can't steal my chips though" he warned playfully.

"Wouldn't dream of it" she winked to him.

...

A week later Lydia found herself propped on the nurse's station, visibly hung over.

"Coffee" Mark announced placing it next to her head, his tone disapproving.

"Love...you" Lydia managed as she craned her neck up to look at him.

"Mm" he replied before wandering off again.

"What exactly did you drink last night?" Bailey asked watching her through narrow eyes.

"The better question is what I didn't drink" Lydia croaked, lifting her head off the counter.

"Ascott isn't in as bad a state as you" Arizona declared as she looked up from the computer screen giving Lydia a disappointed look.

"Ascott is made of steel" Lydia argued before sipping the coffee.

Ryan came and stood next to her. "Hey Dixie" he greeted, smiling to Bailey and Arizona who smiled back though it seemed almost fake as they watched him carefully.

"Ryan, ma man" Lydia croaked sipping her coffee again. "Thanks for taking me home again last night"

Bailey and Arizona shot each other a look.

"No problem" he smiled to her "Dr Robbins I need a surgical consult on one of my kids have you got a minute" he asked politely, smiling gently. He was almost like a male Arizona, but he still had masculinity about him and charming looks almost like Sloan.

"Yeah I'm nearly done here" she flashed him a dimpled smile before glancing back to her computer screen.

"Well I'm going back stairs down" Lydia croaked before turning and walking as slowly as physically possible to the staircase.

"Don't you mean back down stairs" Bailey muttered.

"Whatevs" Lydia weakly scoffed "by y'alls" she added, waving her coffee free hand in the air as she continued to face forward.

Ryan smiled slightly as he watched her walk away, a point which both Arizona and Bailey noticed.

"Dr Connor, are you ready?" Arizona asked as she stood, pulling Ryan out of his gaze.

"Certainly Dr Robbins" he smiled and nodded to Bailey before heading down the corridor with Arizona.

"Dr Connor" Arizona began, her fearless good-man-in-a-storm head on.

"Please call me Ryan" he replied, a slight twinkle in his eye whether he knew it or not.

"Ryan, you know what happened with Lydia right?" Arizona asked cautiously. Ryan nodded, his manner showed he couldn't even manage a 'yes' in response which confused Arizona in the process. "I don't think she's ready for a relationship at the minute is what I'm getting at" Arizona said simply.

Ryan smiled slightly "I know that... I've known Lydia for a long time. I had to deal with...him...on more than one occasion. I know this...situation better than you may think...I love Lydia a lot, she's a very good friend of mine and I care about her dearly" he said simply, taking Arizona completely by surprise.

"Well...good...but just be careful" she added, trying to maintain a sterness about her- she wasn't to be messed with on this.

"Besides, even if I wanted to I don't think Lydia would be interested right now anyway" Ryan laughed slightly.

"Why's that?" Arizona stopped making Ryan turn to her.

"If I know Lydia as well as I think I do you're about to see a very different side to her" Ryan smiled a knowing smile before continuing to walk in the direction of the patients room.

Arizona remained stood for a moment before following with a slight smile of her own.

**Sorry it's taken a while to update. Things are about to ...heat up ...in Seattle, just so you know **


	19. Sound of Sirens

"Dixie we got a big MVA rolling in!" Owen called to her from by the elevator. On que her pager began to beep.

"We'll talk about this later" she growled quietly to Julia who was stood at the nurse's station next to her before following Hunt who was holding the elevator.

Owen gave her a cautious look out of the corner of his eye before talking to her "so how's your first month back been?"

Pulling herself out of her annoyed gaze she smiled up to Owen slightly "it's been fine y'know, everyone's been really good and just yeah...it's been nice...I have a sneaking suspicion that Mark has been sending interns down to ease my workload. I'm not amused" The elevator doors pinged open and they stepped out, Owen chuckling slightly "I'm going to get him back as soon as I get a free minute" Lydia added seriously as they headed to the ambulance bay. Megan, Jack and Zack were already stood waiting. Lydia gave them a smile and a nod. They waited silently for the sound of the sirens.

It had been bigger than any of them had expected. A truck had ran into a coach on the freeway and caused a long pile up. 14 hours later and there were still some surgeries going on while Lydia and her team worked none stop trying to clear the pit the best they could and admit as many as possible. Her patience was wearing thin and it was when she spotted Christopher Hammond, Sloan's star student that she finally snapped.

Moving from the nurse's station to stand in front of him her jaw was set. Although she was shorter and smaller than him Hammond's eyes shot wide open. "Why are you here, again, Hammond?"

"Er I er" he stammered looking around.

"Did Sloan send you?" Lydia's glare grew more intense making Hammond swallow nervously.

"Well er" he began.

"Come with me" Lydia interrupted taking the student by his arm and pulling him to the stairs. She pounded her feet against them angrily as they made their way up to the surgical nurse's station.

There she found Mark, Arizona, Callie and Derek chatting away. Mark's eyes shot between Hammond and Lydia. He quickly turned on his heels and began to hurry away eliciting confused looks from everyone in the area.

"Mark Sloan!" Lydia yelled after him. She let go of Hammond's arm and he quickly ran over to where the rest of the students were sat resting. Lydia looked after where Mark had been then over to the students. Deciding she didn't have the energy to search and destroy the plastic surgeon she made a B line to his students. "Oi!" she yelled making them all turn in her direction "Word of advice, stay the hell away from my ER or you're all going down"

One of the students snickered and she scowled over to him making him stop quickly.

"James, you may find this funny...you may also want to watch your back the rest of this week because I'm going to kick your ass if you laugh like that again. I'm an attending and you are the help, know your place, do as your told and I'll try not to kill you all" she shot them all a look similar to that of a psycho's before continuing off along the corridor.

Derek, Callie and Arizona watched her walk off with amused expressions, unsure what to say following her outburst.

Coming to a stop outside of an office Lydia let out a sharp and annoyed sigh. She tapped on the door before entering.

Julia was sat at a desk in her office facing the door.

"Have you seen Sloan?" Lydia's eyes narrowed. She noticed Julia had a severely uncomfortable expression on her face which didn't falter as she shook her head. "KAREV" Lydia yelled. A loud bang could be heard under Julia's desk as Karev's shot up against it in shock. "Would you stop diddling my sister under the desk while I'm talking to her"

Julia swallowed slightly and avoided her sister's gaze.

"If you see Sloan tell him I'm going to kill him" Lydia hissed before rolling her eyes and leaving the room.

Julia looked under the desk and shook her head with a roll of her eyes.

Lydia stepped back into the room suddenly making Julia jump slightly "Bailey's coming" she muttered before closing the door again.

As much as Julia and Lydia may have disliked each other they were always loyal to each other.

Lydia wandered back to the nurse's station where Callie and Arizona were now stood filling out charts. With a sigh she rubbed her back.

"What's up?" Arizona turned to face her with a concerned expression.

"I've been on shift for 36 hours?" Lydia offered slightly sarcastically, which she regretted immediately, she had a lot of respect for Arizona "sorry, I'm in a bad mood"

With another sigh she rested her head against the station next to Arizona's chart.

"Hey" she recognised the voice instantly.

"Hi Ryan" she lifted her head and smiled at him where he sat at the desk "I didn't see you there"

He smiled slightly as he continued clicking at the computer. "What are you up to tonight?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Got a date" she smiled.

"Another?" he asked smiling slightly though not removing his gaze from the computer screen.

Arizona and Callie glanced to each other. There had been a lot of talk going around about Lydia's dating. In the past month there hadn't been a day were she wasn't seen with a new gentlemen or heard of with a new gentlemen. Furthermore there was a lot of speculation going around about her frequent use of the on call rooms...

"His names Harry" she laughed, ignoring his comment. "He's an electrician"

"He sounds like 40 or something" Ryan glanced up to see her reaction.

"He's 22 actually"

"Cougar" Ryan teased.

Lydia flicked a piece of blue-tac at him.

"That wasn't very nice was it" he replied quietly.

"Neither were you" she defended. Nothing was said for a moment "what are you doing tonight?"

"Going to a gig with Tom and Justin"

"What gig?" Lydia pressed playfully.

"Gate 78" he looked up to her with a raised eyebrow.

"Didn't we see them in New York" she asked standing up straighter.

"Yeah that was the night we..." Ryan trailed off as Lydia's eyes went wider and she glanced to Arizona and Callie who were seemingly writing up charts. His eyes twinkled and he continued clicking on the mouse.

"Oh wow is that the time, gotta go... have a nice night" she smiled to him. "By ladies" she added playfully before wandering off. They smiled to her as she left.

"So" Callie began. Ryan smiled slightly "the night you did what?"

Ryan glanced up to her still smiling before standing and leaving.

"They totally did it" Callie muttered to Arizona as she watched him leave.

"Calliope" Arizona quietly chided not looking up from her chart.

"You agree with me, I know you do" Callie continued turning to face her wife.

Arizona didn't reply for a moment but placed a light kiss on Callie's neck just under her ear. Callie's eyes closed for a moment and she leaned into the touch before continuing with her chart.

...

Walking back from her date with Harry, who was surprisingly boring as hell, Lydia began to think about Ryan. The concert was just a few blocks away, she could easily meet up with him... and as tired as she was on 4 hours sleep over 2 days she'd wait up a little longer. She liked Ryan. As she and Harry walked along the pavement casually holding hands her mind drifted back to her time at Med school. Ryan was cheeky, he always had been and had greeted her on the first day with a charming smile that had more than a friendly intention to it. He wasn't a player and didn't often 'pull' girls, although all the girls fancied him. Ryan was picky, he knew what he liked and he wouldn't dabble in anything else just for fun. He was a caring friend, and very often the life and soul of the party making everyone laugh and have a good time. Lydia and he hit it off instantly. Best friends for life. But there was always Dylan, he was always in the way and it made things ten times harder and put more stress on their friendship than Lydia would like to remember. 'Dylan's gone now though' she thought to herself. But she quickly shook her head, she didn't need another relationship...she just needed a release, a place to send all the stress and tension that builds up so easily now. Any patience or calmness that she so easily wielded before what happened was gone now, she was a different person and she needed different things. With that thought Lydia bowed her head.

"Hey are you okay?" Harry's expression was filled with concern. Give him his due he was a nice person.

"Yeah, just a little tired...would you mind if I caught a cab home? I need some sleep" Lydia stopped and turned to face him.

"Of course not, will you text me to let you know you got home okay?" He asked still holding her hand gently.

"Yeah" she smiled to him softly before placing a delicate kiss against his lips. There was no emotion behind it, no attraction. Harry smiled to her before turning and calling her cab.

"Don't forget to text me" he smiled once more before closing the taxi door.

"Where to?" the driver asked glancing in his mirror to see her.

"Erm... take me to The Hive" she said simply.

Stepping out the cab she took in the bar with a slight sigh. She entered it and text Ryan.

_I'm at The Hive where are you?_

His reply was quick

_Behind you_

Lydia turned smiling. There behind her was Ryan with a big smile.

The bar wasn't too busy but had a good atmosphere. As they headed toward the stage the band began to play again. After she greeted Tom and Justin she stood next Ryan again and glanced up to him with an amused smile which he returned before looking back to the stage. Hiding her phone she text Harry

_I'm home_

She glanced to Ryan once more before smiling again.

At midnight the band played their final song and everyone began to disperse.

"They're so good" Tom exclaimed.

"I know, I heard they were awful but they rocked it" Justin added. "You guys coming over to Bar Red?" he asked turning to Ryan and Lydia who were walking in a comfortable silence behind them.

"Yeah" Ryan replied.

"Sure" Lydia added with a shrug of her shoulders and a smile.

"Awesomeee" Justin playfully sang making them chuckle slightly.

As they stepped outside a massive fight had broken out on the side Lydia was walking on. Not thinking anything of it she watched it casually but Ryan pulled her and swapped sides.

"What?" she asked him curiously.

"Nothing" he muttered evasively.

"WHAT?" one of the people shouting yelled.

They all turned at that point. The man shoved the other man straight into the road and into the side of a passing car. A large scream was heard and after that everything happened in slow motion.

Quickly Lydia rushed over to the man and began to assess his injuries. She looked up to Ryan who was still stood there in shock. "Call an ambulance" he nodded and dialled.

The man that pushed him stepped forward.

"Step away sir I'm a doctor" Lydia ordered.

"I didn't" he began, speechless. He kneeled down next to the person before turning his attention to Lydia. "You have to save him"

Lydia looked up to him and nodded. "Pulse is weak" she yelled to Ryan who was still on the phone. He nodded and repeated her words. "Broken neck" she added. A woman whimpered slightly in the background. Lydia signalled for the phone off Ryan and began listing off the injuries more discreetly.

The man's eyes shot open.

"He's awake" Ryan whispered.

"Johnny Johnny" the man kneeling beside him cried. "I'm so sorry" he began. He leaned over slightly as Johnny's eyes began to water.

"Sir step back please" Ryan quietly ordered.

"You've got to save him" the man cried "you've got to"

"Sir I need you to step back"

"He's stopped breathing" Lydia announced suddenly and leaned in between the two.

The man clutched Lydia's shoulder making her turn her attention to him.

"Save him!" he yelled at her.

"Get off me then" she replied simply.

"Don't let him die" he continued.

"Get off her" Ryan ordered keeping his tone quite calm.

The man let go.

Lydia leaned in further and placed a breath into Johnny's mouth. When his chest didn't move with her action she knew there was something obstructing his airway, most probably his broken neck. There was nothing she could do at this point, she had no resources. They could hear the ambulance just blocks away. Exhaling sharply she leant back onto her heels with frustration and looked to Ryan shaking her head. A woman cried from the crowd and she looked back to Johnny.

The man looked between her and Johnny in shock.

"Do something" he whispered. Lydia looked to him unsure what to say "DO SOMETHING" he yelled. Lydia jumped slightly at his reaction. Ryan moved forward slightly. "FIX HIM YOU BITCH" the man lurched forward slightly but Ryan quickly blocked him and threw him back against the pavement.

"Ryan!" Lydia yelled standing up. But she stopped as she saw Ryan had simply restrained the man who was now crying into the pavement.

Ryan kept his eyes on the back of the man's head while they waited for the ambulance, a wait that felt like an eternity.

The sound of sirens filled their ears as the police and ambulance parked on the street. Lydia attended to Johnny, going in the ambulance with him while Ryan handed the man over to the police.

"I'll meet you at the hospital" he said quietly before walking over to Justin and Tom.

'Why's he being so short with me' Lydia wondered as she held Johnny's cold hand.

...

Lydia was stood at the nurse's station when Julia rushed up next to her.

"They said you were brought in are you okay? They said car accident" Lydia stepped back slightly at her sister's manic greeting.

"I brought someone in, I wasn't in the accident" Lydia quietly replied before going back to writing on a chart.

"Oh" Julia didn't quite know what to say next "I'm glad you're okay"

"Mm" Lydia replied back not looking up from the sheet.

"Lydia..."Julia began but didn't know where to go from there.

"Just leave it, I'm tired, we'll talk tomorrow" Lydia muttered.

"I'm doing this for you, for her, Lydia" Julia replied quietly. Lydia closed her eyes and dropped her pen, trying to control her anger.

"She's my daughter, none of this is for me" Lydia hissed before turning and leaving her sister at the station.

As she turned the corner she ran into Ryan.

"Hey" She glanced to the side, the awkwardness still between them and a new anger inside of her.

"Hi" he replied looking to the side as well. "Are you okay?" he asked after a moment.

"Not really, I just had another argument with Julia" Lydia looked up to him again and he met her gaze.

"I meant after..." he replied quietly

She shrugged her shoulders; she knew what he was getting at.

"Thanks for...you know pushing him away" Lydia gave Ryan a tired but sincere smile.

"Of course" he replied sincerely "you look tired, let me take you home" he took her hand in his own and walked her out of the hospital.

...

They pulled up outside of Lydia's house a quarter of an hour later. Lydia let out a slight yawn which let a tear fall down her cheek. Ryan brought his thumb up and wiped it away.

"Thanks" Lydia's voice was quiet, barely audible as her eyes searched his. "Are you...coming in?"

"Erm..." Ryan was lost in her eyes. In this light they were an enchanting green, he could look into them for forever.

"I don't want to be alone tonight" she added when he didn't reply, still searching his eyes trying to read his expression.

"O-okay" he replied finally pulling his eyes from hers.

...

"Is there anyone home?" he asked as they stepped into the hall.

"No, Ben's at Mark's I think" she replied tiredly. "Do you want to a drink or..."

"No I'm okay" Ryan turned to face her, waiting for her to direct him.

"Come on then" Lydia gave him a careful look before taking his hand and leading him up the stairs.

...

They lay on her bed still fully clothed, both facing the ceiling, their hands by their sides and touching slightly.

"I miss this" Ryan whispered, not sure she was still awake.

She didn't reply and Ryan turned his head slightly to look at her. Her eyes were open and she turned her head to face him. Smiling she nodded slightly. Carefully she moved her hand over Ryan's and entwined her fingers with his own.

"Something's been bothering you lately, other than the obvious" Ryan spoke softly as he tightened his hand against her, a warmth falling over their skin.

"I..." Lydia began, she could talk to Ryan about everything.

Ryan turned on his side and propped his head on his hand watching her as she continued to look at the ceiling, her expression serious and thoughtful, taking her hand in his own again with his other hand.

"I'm worried" she added eventually.

"About?" Ryan pressed softly, gently rubbing his thumb against her hand.

"I just...I'm not me anymore and I'm worried that...that I never will be"

"You don't remember?" Ryan replied, he moved their hands and placed them against Lydia's stomach.

"Remember what?" She turned her head to look at him.

"After...after what happened just before that Christmas...when you were...well when it was bad...you weren't right for so long...you were bad tempered, angry, you couldn't keep a cool calm head on you and you...well we had a lot of...because you needed to blow off steam, remember?" Lydia thought for a moment "this is just like then, you got over it" he shrugged his shoulders and smiled "you'll always be you, your awesome" he added.

"That was so lame, and I love you for that" Lydia replied after a moment smiling to him.

Ryan smiled back "and I love you for being you" he leant his head down and kissed her lips softly. She closed her eyes for a moment and opened them when he pulled away.

There'd always be chemistry between them. They'd been here, doing this, more times than she could think.

"Let's go to sleep" Lydia quietly suggested, she was slightly nervous.

"Okay" Ryan smiled again.

Turning on her side Lydia kept tight hold of Ryan's hand against her stomach and scooted back into him so she was perfectly moulded against him.

As she drifted off she felt him place a kiss against her neck before placing his head down against the pillow and hugging her in tighter to him. She felt everything else fall away. She hadn't felt so light in a long time.

'**TEAM RYAN TEAM RYAN TEAM RYAN' Lol how nice is he? Based on a real person too... I know I've said this twice but when I was writing this I couldn't get the SUPER hot moment into it but I promise you with all my might that more than one character is getting some in the next chapter! Steamin' hot people. Steamin' ;) Stay tuned n'all that. **


	20. Love Scars

Mark wandered into Joe's wearing a slight smile on his face. His last surgery had gone smoother than he had thought and he got out of the OR early. He made his way to the bar and nodded to Joe.

"Usual?" Joe asked with a knowing smile.

"Yeah" Mark replied with a slight laugh.

He looked around the rest of the bar searching for a familiar face. His eyes landed on a blonde at the bar a few seats down. Smiling he made his way over.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked, a charming smile spread across his face.

Julia turned to him and rolled her eyes "what are you doing here?" she sighed.

Joe handed him his drink before he took a seat next to her.

"I don't know, the night brought me here...probably because of you" he winked at her and she couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. He straightened himself more and replaced his charming smile with a kind smile "how are you?" His question was sincere.

Thinking for a moment Julia swirled the little red straw around her drink "I'm okay, as well as can be expected...I miss the city...my sister hates me...I have a niece!" she smiled slightly at the end.

"She doesn't hate you" Mark turned and faced into the bar more.

"Of course she does, I'm the devil sister remember" Julia pointed a finger to her chest as she spoke then placed her hand flat on the bar next to her drink.

"That's what siblings do though, fight and whatever..." Mark took a sip of his drink and watched her as she nodded slightly "she's in a funny place right now, she'll come round" He placed his hand over Julia's and smiled when she didn't pull her hand away. Turning her head Julia began to look into Mark's eyes.

"I missed you, you know" she spoke softly, a lightness to her voice that he wasn't always used to. Taken aback by her revelation Mark blinked a few times.

"I-I missed you too" he smiled to her and gave her hand a little squeeze.

"We used to have so much fun, when we were young" Julia looked back to her drink.

"What do you mean? We still are and we still do" he gave her a wink.

"You might...then again you got a kid now, I guess you're slowing your pace down hm?" Julia looked into his eyes again. Mark smiled slightly and nodded. "She's cute, I saw Callie with her before...got your cheeky smile..." Julia smiled for a moment. Maybe it was because she had a kid now, Mark hadn't ever known a maternal side to Julia. "I never thought I'd see the day you had a kid"

Mark looked away though had a slight smile on his face. He knew what she was getting at.

"I didn't think you would either" he looked back to her as he spoke.

"No..." Julia trailed off in thought "but it's the best thing that's happened to me" she looked back to her drink "Ben's father was...I loved him, but I wasn't in love with him" she let out a sigh "and now he's gone...I miss him terribly...I can't help thinking if I tried-"

"Hey" Mark interrupted her and brought his thumb up to her a cheek where a tear she didn't know existed had fallen.

"Oh god" she laughed slightly and wiped away couple more "look at the state of me"

Mark took her hands and held them in his own. Her eyes instantly met his blue and thoughtful eyes. There was something in the way he was looking at her right now that told her she was safe, she was okay.

"You're perfect" he whispered. Julia wasn't sure if he had even spoke those words, and neither was he.

They sat in a comfortable silence, both staring into each other's eyes with their hands still together.

"Take me home" Julia's voice was light and quiet, her eyes innocent and longing.

Mark nodded and stood. He kept one of her hands in his own as they silently left the bar. An invisible connection sparking between them.

...

Lydia woke up with a fright waking Ryan up with her.

"What what is it?" he asked looking into her eyes and holding her tighter against him.

"I heard a noise" she whispered before looking to the door.

They could hear giggling and what sounded like lots of falling over. Giving each other a confused look they stepped off the bed and stood at the door way peaking through the gap. Just as they looked they saw a very drunk Julia giggling up the stairs followed shortly by and equally drunk Mark. He grabbed her from behind making her giggle and began kissing against her neck on the staircase.

Lydia's mouth dropped open and she looked to Ryan who was half way between amused and disgusted. They moved backwards into her bedroom and sat on the bed again. Chuckling quietly as they heard Mark and Julia finally reach the bedroom.

"You should stop her" Ryan laughed.

"A- I'm not going in there B- this isn't the first time C-...I think they're cute together" Lydia wrinkled her nose slightly when she smiled making Ryan laugh again.

For a few moments they stared into each other's eyes as they sat side by side on the bed. Ryan's eyes fell to Lydia's lips and he couldn't help bite his own. Lydia released a breath she didn't know she was holding as she watching him checking her out and sat forward slightly placing her hand on his thigh. Their eyes met again briefly before the crashed their lips together. It was a frenzied kiss. A lust they hadn't really noticed suddenly let loose.

Lydia moved so she was straddling his waist and he scooted up the bed a little. They quickly lifted off each other's shirts allowing Ryan to kiss and nip along her collarbone. She threw her head back, biting her lip and clutched at the skin on his sides. He ran his hand up her back and drug his nails down against the skin. She shuddered at the touch and moved to push him against the bed. As she nibbled against his ear her hands trailed down his stomach and down to his trouser line where she ran her nail against his skin. Hearing his breath hitch she began to kiss along his neck and down his chest occasionally biting and teasing the skin. As she reached his navel she let her tongue dip into the cavity, swirling it slightly before continuing down and eliciting a deep growl from Ryan. Her hands moved quickly as she unfastened his belt and pulled his trousers off, lashing them across the room. Moving back up to his face he pushed her over gently so he was on top. His knee pressed into her centre as he placed kisses along her neck. She began to moan and bite hard on her lip. His hands trailed down her sides making her hips buck upwards. He ran his finger across her stomach as he moved his kisses towards her breasts and began to draw circles around her belly button making her stomach undulate at the touch. He began to flick his tongue around her nipple bringing up the hand from her belly button and using it tease her other nipple. Lydia let out another moan.

But then a thought struck her. She looked down her body and noticed her scars. The still healing cuts and bruises. Gasping she pushed Ryan off. His lustful eyes flickered with confusion.

"What's wrong?" he whispered, voice slightly deeper.

"I" she began, suddenly away of how naked she was she pulled a blanket over her.

He watched her confusion for a moment before realising why she was behaving the way she was.

"We don't have to" he began.

"I want to" was her quiet and almost frustrated reply.

"Okay...then what's up?" he moved closer to her, careful not to make her anymore uncomfortable.

"I'm a mess" she whispered avoiding his gaze.

"What do you mean?" he sat up slightly so he was at the same height as her.

"Cuts and bruises and scars and-" she listed off.

"You're beautiful" he interrupted. Quite surprised at how loud his voice was. "You're stunning. You're breathtaking. Your body is...your body is..."

"Disgusting" she finished for him looking him dead in the eyes her own filled with hurt and sadness.

Ryan shook his head with a slight smile. He tugged on the blanket. At first she didn't let go but she eventually let him pull it away.

Looking closer Ryan could see the numerous scars up her body. There wasn't a part of her body that hadn't had some sort of damage to it. He noticed a scar on her stomach and leaned down carefully. She watched him curiously. Slowly he leant down and kissed against the scar. Her eyes closed for a moment at the touch, tingles running up her body. Not looking up to her he moved and kissed another one on her upper arm. He did this a few more times before he brought his lips up to her mouth.

"Your body is the most amazing body I have ever known" he whispered against her lips.

She searched his eyes for sincerity in his words, and wasn't surprised when she found it. Nodding slightly she wrapped her arms back around him and ran her hands up his back.

"We've been doing this for forever huh" she smiled to him and he smiled back nodding. His expression changed slightly as a thought crossed his mind "what is it?" she asked eying him carefully.

"I was..." he began "how come you've had sex with other people, but you stopped with me...were you not nervous about the scars then?" he asked carefully.

Lydia shrugged her shoulders "I guess...I guess I care what you think...you saw it before all the scars and...well...I care what you think" she repeated.

He smiled slightly and nodded. "You'll always be you to me, you'll never be anyone else, you're always going to be the most beautiful person I have ever seen"

Lydia giggled slightly "you're being very romantic tonight Ryan" her voice was light and alluring.

His eyes twinkled as he noticed her change in tone "I'm always romantic" he replied, barely allowing himself time to finish the sentence before he began kissing along her neck.

...

The next morning Lydia woke with a sigh. There was a strange feeling against her stomach which she instantly identified as Ryan's fingertips drawing patterns.

"Morning" he placed chaste kiss against her neck. She snuggled back into the kiss with a smile before opening her eyes.

"Morning" she replied to him softly.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a couple of moments. Ryan's fingers still tracing patterns on her stomach she could help but inhale and giggle slightly when he touched a sensitive spot. Though she couldn't see it Ryan's expression lit up and for a couple of moments he carried on using gentle strokes. He began to make circles around her navel, closed the gap with each swipe. She bit her lip slightly. He knew that was her spot. Just as he slipped his finger inside she let out a gasp and her body jolted back into him and her hands were quick to fight his off. But the battle was lost. He moved over her and took her hands in his own placing him above his head.

"Why do you always try, you know I'll win" he laughed before letting his free hand tickle across her stomach. She giggled and screamed kicking her legs out trying to escape. Ryan stopped and placed a hand over her mouth "shh Julia" he whispered.

But it was too late. There was a knocking on the door.

"Lydia are you alright?" Julia called through the door.

"Yeah" Lydia laughed. "Ryan's here don't come in" as she spoke he began to tease her stomach again making her wiggle and squirm.

"Okay well...come down for some breakfast soon" Lydia rolled her eyes as she heard Julia's down the stairs accompanied by another pair, presumably Mark's.

"Asshole" Lydia gasped as she tried to calm her giggles.

Ryan laughed and stood up putting his pants back on.

"Where are you going?" Lydia sat up on her arms and watched him with a look of shock.

"Breakfast" he replied nodding to the door then looking back to her as if it was the simplest of things in the world.

Lydia shook her head and laughed before crossing to her dresser.

'This'll be an interesting breakfast' she thought to herself with raised eyebrows.

**Y'alls hot and bothered after that one? ;) Story is going to take a niiiice and sweeeet turn soon : ) fluff fluff fluff **


	21. Chapter 21

It was two weeks after that morning; Lydia and Arizona are standing at the nurse's station.

"So how's things going with Ryan? Nice to see you've finally settled down" Arizona flashes Lydia a smile at her last words.

Lydia laughs slightly and turns to face Arizona "who says we're settling down?" Arizona raises an eyebrow "okay...so maybe we are a little...but I'm just focusing on work and convincing Julia that it's time Ellie came home to me"

"I'm sure she'll be here soon" Arizona offers Lydia a smile and gives her arm a light squeeze.

"Yep" Lydia looks back down to her chart.

Julia sits up from an on call room bed. She re-fastens her shirt. Mark Sloan copies her.

"We can't keep doing this here, people are going to find out" Julia whispers standing from the bed and fixing her hair.

"Oh please you love all this sneaking around" Mark winks to her; she smiles slightly.

"We aren't kids any more Mark, we have careers to think about and-" Mark stands up and kisses her stopping her train of thought.

He whispers against her lips "and?"

Julia looks into each of his eyes for a moment before pulling away smiling and leaving the room. Mark watches after her for minute before sitting back down on the bed.

Smiling slightly Julia wanders back to her office. She turns a corner and runs into Lydia.

"Lydia" she says smiling.

"Hey Jul-why are you smiling like that?" Lydia stops and looks at her properly.

"Smiling like what?" Julia drops the smile and replaces it with a frown.

"Never mind. Listen I'm just going down to do a surgery now and then after that I'm done so I'll pick Ben up and you can you know...chill"

"Oh thanks...yeah that's great I was working late tonight anyway" Julia shrugs her shoulders and nods.

"Cool – see you later then" Lydia smiles to Julia and steps past her before stopping "oh and Julia"

"Yeah?"

"If you and Sloan are going to use the on call rooms you may want to think about keeping it down a little" Lydia smirks slightly before wandering off, a slight skip in her step.

Julia rolls her eyes with a sigh and continues on her way.

Lydia and Megan exit the operating theatre.

"You did great today Megan" Lydia taps her shoulder gently.

"Thanks Dixie, you know I think maybe I might enjoy surgery more..." Megan glances to Lydia slightly.

"Maybe... ER work is way more fun though...maybe not in a hospital like this though...New York is the best place for it" Lydia smiles slightly.

"Do you think you'll go back?" they continue down the corridor to a sitting room.

"I don't know...probably not, not now I've set this up" Lydia opens the door to the sitting room. A man and woman are sat holding hands worriedly. "Mr and Mrs Danson, Craig's surgery went fine it was just a little break so we really didn't need to do too much. Dr Ascott is going to take you up to the day ward now and will answer any questions for you"

Mrs Danson stands smiling "oh thank you Dr Dixon, he's such a silly boy!"

Lydia smiles and nods before leaving the sitting room. She rubs a hand over her hair and sighs. As she strolls down the corridor her beeper sounds.

'Ryan- NEED UR HELP 2ND FLR NRS STATION'

Lydia reattaches the beeper to her bottoms and runs towards the station.

Ryan is stood rolling his beeper through his fingers. Lydia rushes around the corner to his side.

"What's wrong?" she asks calmly but seriously.

Ryan smiles to her and shakes his head slightly "nothing is wrong I just need your help with something"

Lydia looks around and sees the area relatively empty "well...what is it?"

"I bit my lip"

"Okay?" Lydia offers him a 'get-on-with-it-look'.

"Was just wondering if...maybe you wanted to kiss it better" Ryan asked cheekily, raising an eyebrow.

"Ew" Lydia laughs slightly. "You're disgusting"

"Gee thanks, I'm in pain here" Ryan pouts slightly.

"Aww diddums" Lydia moves forward giggling and places a gentle kiss on his lips. "All better"

Mark enters the nurse's station "urgh get a room"

Lydia scowls at him "we would but all the on call rooms are taken"

Mark looks around for a moment. "Julia told me to tell you that she wants to see you. She's downstairs at the main entrance"

Lydia rolls her eyes "oh my, what next? Passing around letters?"

Mark laughs slightly and shakes his head. "Well she sounded pretty serious so I'd go now if I were you"

"Fine" Lydia sighs and heads off. "Come on Ryan"

Ryan drops his pen and glances to Mark smiling. Mark smiles back and begins to follow them.

Lydia glances behind her with a curious look as she sees Mark following her and Ryan, her gaze also notices Callie, Arizona, Meredith... almost everyone also following but at a distance.

"What's going on?" Lydia asks stopping on the stairs.

Mark offers her a confused though slightly impatient look "what do you mean?"

"Well why is everyone following me?" Lydia gestures to the almost crowd behind them.

"They aren't here for you, you aren't a celebrity Lydia" Mark rolls his eyes at her.

Lydia offers Mark a scowl. She's about to say something when she hears a familiar noise from the bottom of the stairs. Her heart stops.

Turning she doesn't want to smile in case it isn't true. The noise is getting louder and louder. It must be real.

"MOMMY!"

Lydia turns to see and squealing Ellie at the bottom of the stairs waving her arms. For a moment Lydia just stands there. Her mouth slightly open in a half smile and a half cry. Tears begin stream down her face.

Julia is standing next to Ellie holding her hand with Ben holding the other. Lydia rushes down the rest of the stairs and pulls the little girl into her arms. She stands and lifts the girl above her slightly.

"Mommy did you miss me?" Ellie laughs.

"Mommy missed you so much" Lydia splutters as she pulls the girl in close to her body.

"I missed you too" Ellie whispers placing a kiss on the side of Lydia's head.

"You're so big, you've grown so much" Lydia laughs slightly.

"Mommy can we live here now with Aunty Julia and Ben?" Ellie speaks quickly with excitement.

"Yeah baby this is home now" Lydia whispers.

"With you?" Ellie pulls back to see her mother's face.

"With me" Lydia nods and pulls the girl in once again.

Julia wipes away a tear as she watches the scene, her hand finds Ben's and she pulls him into a hug. Mark lets a tear fall down his cheek and places a hand on Ryan's shoulder, who is smiling with adoration and also crying. Behind them Arizona and Callie are holding hands and crowd is cheering and laughing.

Lydia lowers Ellie to the ground and takes her hand.

"Ellie there's someone I want you to meet" Lydia turns her attention back up the stairs and laughs slightly, tears escaping her eyes "actually there are a few people I want you to meet" Lydia gestures for them to come down the stairs.

Ryan and Mark slowly walk towards them. Ellie swings Lydia's arms as she waits for them to get to her.

"Ellie this is your Uncle Mark"

"Hey kiddo" Mark smiles to the little girl before lifting her up. "I've been waiting a while to meet you"

Ellie smiles to him "you have?"

"Oh yeah, Ly-your Mom told me you were amazing and wonderful and smart" Mark bounces her slightly.

"And funny, I said funny too" Lydia chimes in winking at Ellie.

"Oh yeah I make Mommy laugh lots" Ellie nods matter-of-a-factly.

Mark laughs and nods slightly, before putting Ellie back down.

Lydia smiles to Ryan who smiles back. A twinkle in his eye that she'd never seen before.

"Ellie...this is Ryan" Ellie walks over to Ryan and lifts her arms up so he'll carry her. "Ryan is...Mommy's er... Ryan-" Lydia frowns slightly as she tries to explain.

Ellie ignores her and looks to Ryan "are you my new Daddy?"

Lydia's eyes widen and she glances to Julia who is frowning slightly.

Ryan smiles slightly and glances to Lydia "well...do you want me to be?"

Ellie thinks for a moment "are you a doctor?"

"Yes"

"Do you like children?"

"Yeah"

"Do you like my Mommy?"

Ryan smiles slightly and bows his head to Ellie's ear. He whispers "your Mommy is the most beautiful woman I've ever met, I love her completely" Lydia tries to decipher his words.

"Okay...Okay" Ellie smiles to him.

"Okay?" Ryan smiles back to her.

"Okay" Ellie sticks her thumbs up to him.

"Alright then" Ryan looks to Lydia and laughs.

Lydia smiles to them. She steps forward and pulls them into a hug together.

**N'awww. I've still got a long way for this story though. Keep reading folks. Sorry for the late update had lots of work to be doing. So much crying in this chapter I'll make the next one all about laughter! AB xx**


	22. Ever After

**1 Year Later**

Ellie sat patiently in front of the mirror. Her hair tied up loosely with curls and a little tiara. She fidgeted uncomfortably with her light pink dress.

'Ellie-Louise stop fidgeting' Arizona laughed entering the room in a similar dress holding a bouquet of flowers.

'It's too tight!'

Arizona came to stand behind her and pulled a funny face at the girl through the mirror. Ellie laughed and shook her head.

'Your Mommy said you can take it off for the party, okay?' Arizona places her hand on the girls shoulder.

'Yeah, I suppose' Ellie lifts her head up to look at Arizona, puffing her cheeks out in a sigh. Arizona pulls a tongue at the girl and tickles her neck.

Callie enters with Sofia in her arms. They're wearing matching blue dresses although Callie is wearing a dress hat. 'Well, well, well aren't you two the prettiest bridesmaids there ever was?' she says entering the room looking at Arizona and Ellie.

'Well thank you Calliope, and aren't you two the most adorable pair of blue dress wearing babes' Arizona replies, rolling her eye in thought as she tries to construct the compliment.

'MA!' Sofia shouts at Callie pointing to Arizona.

'Yeah, she's been calling for you all morning' Callie says with a playfully impatient smile. Arizona takes Sofia from her and bounces the baby making her laugh.

Callie moves and stands behind Ellie fixing herself in the mirror.

'What are you doing?' Ellie asks with a confused expression.

'This dress is a pain in the... it's uncomfortable' Callie replies, careful not to swear.

'Mine too. Mommy said I can take it off later though for the party'

'Oh yeah? Well I might just take mine off _at_ the party' Callie raises her eyebrows making Ellie laugh.

At that moment Julia enters the room. She wipes a tear away carefully from her eye and smiles to the girls. Behind her Amelia Shepherd and Megan enter in bridesmaid dresses, both wiping away tears of their own. Nervously Lydia steps in after them. Her hair is tied up with a veil down the back. Her dress is strapless and slightly layered.

Ellie stands from her seat and carefully crosses the room eying her mother from head to toe in awe.

'Wow' she gasps standing next to Julia who places a hand on the girl's shoulder.

Lydia smiles down to Ellie 'you into my threads kid?' she says, breaking the silence in the room.

Julia rolls her eyes while the rest of them chuckle slightly.

'Can you please all stop crying?' Lydia asks in addition. 'I may start and then I'll look like the corpse bride'

They all laugh again aside from Julia who turns her head away muttering '.'

There's a knock on the door.

'It's me, you ready?' Mark calls from the other side.

Julia looks to Lydia who nods, her expression clearly nervous.

'Come in' Julia calls back.

Mark enters the room and stops, his mouth agape. His eyes run across Callie who is raising her eyebrows slightly, then Arizona who is smiling widely and to Sofia, lingering for a moment at the cuteness of his daughter. He looks from there to Megan, and to Amelia who is wearing a sort of cheeky smile; to Julia who is offering him a loving smile; and to Ellie who is pulling her tongue at him and laughing slightly. Then he sees Lydia. He makes a small noise like he's about to speak but instead closes his mouth. They laugh at him slightly and begin to leave the room past him leaving him and Lydia on their own. Lydia smiles to him, her eyes watering slightly.

'You like?' she asks playfully, her cheeks blushing slightly.

Mark shakes his head, still in awe 'I-I love' he whispers.

She laughs but it comes out as a sort of cry. She shuts her eyes to stop tears from falling and takes a slow calming breath. Mark crosses the room and stands next to her. She opens her eyes and looks to him. He gives her a nod and smile, she smiles back and nods slightly. Carefully he hooks his arm around hers so they are linked and leads her out of the room.

The bridesmaids are waiting in the hallway and give her one more look and smile. They begin to lead out into the church as the music plays up. Mark and Lydia take her position.

'Are you ready' he asks lovingly.

'No, are you?' she looks to him, her eyes big and terrified.

'No' he laughs and they begin to walk. She laughs slightly and tries to compose herself with a deep breath.

All heads turn as she enters the room but her eyes are focused ahead. Ryan turns after a moment, along with his best man and the groomsmen, including Ben. Tears begin to fall down his cheeks. At first he doesn't realise they're there but when he does he wipes them away quickly and straightens up slightly.

It seemed to take forever for Lydia to reach the alter. She glided like a vision along with Mark. When they reached the alter he placed her hand into Ryan's and stepped to the side. Ryan led her up the steps where they stood.

He glanced at her out the corner of his eyes. Nervously she looked to him out the corner of hers.

'I've never seen anything so beautiful' he whispered so gently she wasn't sure if she'd heard him.

'I love you' she whispers back.

**A nice little chapter, and ending unfortunately. However, I have a plot lined out for these guys post this story so should I continue after this or would it be easier if I start a new story? Let me know, and let me know what you think! Thank you for those that have read this story, I really enjoyed writing and also sorry for making this last instalment so belated I've had a tonne of work! Lots of love AB xxx**


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